Ukraine’s capture of North Koreans offers rare insight into Russian alliance, says Zelenskyy
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Kyiv keen to emphasise that Ukraine is fighting an unprecedented coalition of malign autocratic states. Ukraine’s capture of two North Korean soldiers on the battlefield has provided a rare glimpse into their role and Pyongyang’s participation in the Russian invasion, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.
The two soldiers were taken prisoner in Kursk oblast, the scene of intense fighting since Ukraine launched a cross-border raid five months ago. Video showed special forces soldiers carrying one of the wounded North Koreans across a snowy forest. Zelenskyy said Ukraine would give journalists access to the pair, so the world “can learn the truth about what is happening”.
The prisoners have been transported to Kyiv and given appropriate “medical treatment” for their injuries, Zelenskyy said. He praised the paratroopers and tactical group that retrieved them, saying: “This was not an easy task”. Russian forces and North Korean military personnel had previously executed their wounded in order to “erase” any trace of Pyongyang’s involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine, he claimed.
Ukraine’s SBU intelligence agency is questioning the soldiers, who were given fake Russian names and military documents. The pair speak no foreign languages. South Korea’s NIS intelligence service has been assisting, the SBU said. The soldiers are the first captive North Koreans to survive. They represent a PR opportunity for Kyiv, during a precarious moment for Ukraine as Donald Trump returns to the White House.
