Ukraine says it has captured two North Korean soldiers who were wounded in Russia

Two wounded North Korean soldiers were taken as prisoners of war by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday.

The two men received the “necessary medical assistance” and are in the custody of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in Kyiv, according to Zelensky.

The president said he was “thankful” to the Ukrainian paratroopers and soldiers from the Special Operation Forces for capturing the North Koreans.

He added that “this was not an easy task”, saying that Russian and North Korean soldiers often killed wounded North Koreans “to erase any evidence of North Korea’s involvement in the war with Ukraine”.

In a statement posted to Telegram and X, Zelensky said the military “talked to SBU investigators” and ordered the Security Ministry of Ukraine to give journalists access to them.

“The world needs to know the truth about what is happening,” he added.

Zelensky also posted photos of two wounded men but did not provide evidence that they were North Koreans.

One photo shows a Russian military ID card issued to a 26-year-old man from Russia’s Tyva region near the Mongolian border.

Some reports have said that Russia is hiding North Korean fighters by giving them fake IDs.

In December, South Korean intelligence reported that A North Korean soldier has died, believed to be the first to be arrested while supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine after being taken alive by Ukrainian forces.

Separately, the White House said North Korean forces are facing multiple dangers.