The Security Service for Ukraine has announced the capture of two soldiers from North Korea in Russia’s Kursk region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed his willingness to return the captured North Korean soldiers to Pyongyang in exchange for Ukrainian prisoners of war held in Russia. The soldiers are currently being interrogated in Kyiv with the help of Korean translators. One of the captured soldiers has expressed a desire to return to North Korea, while the other has indicated he wishes to remain in Ukraine. Zelenskyy has stated that for those soldiers who do not wish to return, there may be alternative options available.
The soldiers, whose identities have not been disclosed, have been transferred to Kyiv for questioning and medical attention. According to SSU spokesperson Artem Dekhtyarenko, the prisoners do not speak Ukrainian, English, or Russian, and communication with them is being facilitated through Korean interpreters. It was revealed that one of the captured foreigners had a Russian military ID card issued in the name of another individual registered in the Republic of Tuva. There has been no official statement from Pyongyang regarding the capture of the soldiers, and North Korea has not publicly confirmed its deployment of troops to support Russia’s war efforts.
A senior Ukrainian military official reported that approximately 200 North Korean troops fighting alongside Russian forces in Kursk have been killed or wounded in battle. This marks the first significant estimate of North Korean casualties in the conflict, which has been ongoing for almost three years. The White House and Pentagon have confirmed that North Korean forces have been participating in combat on the front lines alongside Russian units. South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency has reported that 300 North Korean soldiers have been killed in fighting, with 2,700 wounded, according to the country’s spy agency.
It has been reported that North Korean troops are being encouraged by their Russian commanders to take their own lives rather than risk capture by Ukrainian forces. The capture of the two soldiers from North Korea is seen as “indisputable evidence” of North Korean involvement in the war. Zelenskyy has indicated his willingness to engage in an exchange of soldiers with North Korea, should Kim Jong Un show interest in such a negotiation. The situation highlights the complex dynamics at play in the ongoing conflict in the region, with various countries and actors involved in the conflict with potentially conflicting interests. The fate of the captured soldiers and the broader implications of their capture remain to be seen as the situation continues to evolve.
