Ukraine says it captured two injured North Korean soldiers in Russia

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

The two men are receiving “necessary medical care” 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 military and Special Operation Forces for capturing the North Koreans.

He added that “this was not an easy task”, saying that the Russian and North Korean forces often killed wounded North Koreans “to remove any evidence that North Korea is involved in the war against Ukraine”.

In a statement posted on Telegraph and X, Zelensky said the soldiers were “talking to SBU investigators” and told the Security Service of Ukraine to give journalists access to them.

“The country should know the truth about what is happening,” he added.

Zelensky also sent 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 on the border with Mongolia.

Some reports say that Russia is hiding North Korean soldiers by providing them with fake IDs.

In December, the intelligence agency in South Korea said that A North Korean soldier believed to be the first to be captured aiding Russia’s war in Ukraine has died taken alive by the Ukrainian army.

Separately, the White House said North Korean troops were suffering many casualties.