On Saturday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian forces had captured two North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian troops in the Kursk region.
Ukraine Captures North Korean Soldiers
Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine launched renewed attacks in Kursk to hold territory gained during the rapid August offensive. This marked the first Ukrainian occupation of Russian land since World War II. However, Russia’s counteroffensive has caused heavy losses for Ukraine. Russian forces have recaptured over 40% of the 984 square kilometers Ukraine initially seized.
Zelenskyy tweeted, “Our troops captured two North Korean soldiers in Kursk. Despite injuries, they survived. They are now cooperating with Ukrainian security services in Kyiv.” He shared images of the soldiers resting on cots, bandaged around their hands, wrists, and jaws.
Russian-North Korean Efforts to Conceal the Soldiers
Zelenskyy described the capture as challenging. Russian and North Korean forces tried to conceal the presence of the soldiers by executing wounded comrades. This attempt to prevent interrogation failed.
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) reported that one soldier had no identification, while the other carried a Russian military ID from Tuva, a region near Mongolia. SBU officials said, “The prisoners do not speak Ukrainian, English, or Russian, so we use Korean translators with South Korean intelligence for communication.”
One soldier revealed that he was sent to Russia for training and did not know he would fight against Ukraine.
North Korean Involvement in the Conflict
A Ukrainian military official recently stated that around 200 North Korean soldiers in Kursk have been killed or wounded. Ukraine previously reported that North Korea had sent 10,000 to 12,000 troops to support Russia in the ongoing war.
Both the White House and Pentagon confirmed that North Korean soldiers are fighting alongside Russian infantry units. Some North Koreans are operating independently around Kursk. This marks an increase in the international dimension of the war.
The capture of North Korean soldiers highlights the growing international involvement in the war. As more countries join, the conflict’s global impact continues to expand.