North Korean Soldiers Captured in Kyiv
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed on Saturday that investigators are currently interrogating two North Korean soldiers who were recently captured in Russia’s Kursk region. Zelensky announced via social media that these soldiers, despite being wounded, survived their ordeal and have been transported to Kyiv for questioning by the SBU, Ukraine’s security service.
The situation highlights the ongoing involvement of North Korean troops in the conflict, with Pyongyang reportedly sending thousands of soldiers to support Russian forces. This includes the Kursk border area, where Ukraine executed a surprise incursion last August, raising questions about the extent of North Korea’s military engagement in the region.
Challenges in Capturing North Korean Soldiers
In a previous statement from late December, Zelensky noted that Ukraine had captured several critically injured North Korean soldiers, although they later succumbed to their injuries. He expressed the challenges faced by Ukrainian forces in capturing North Koreans during combat, explaining that Russian and other North Korean troops often execute their wounded to eliminate any evidence of North Korea’s involvement in the ongoing war against Ukraine.
Zelensky emphasized the importance of transparency, stating that he would permit media access to the captured soldiers to inform the world about the situation. He shared photographs of the two injured soldiers, who appeared to have Asian features, resting in bunk beds; however, he did not conclusively prove their national identity. One image did include a Russian military ID card belonging to a 26-year-old man from Tyva, a region bordering Mongolia.
Allegations of Concealment by Russia
Reports have surfaced suggesting that Russia may be disguising North Korean combatants by issuing them fake identification cards, thus obscuring their true identities. This has raised concerns about the extent of North Korea’s involvement in the conflict and the lengths to which Russia might go to conceal this fact.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andriy Sybiga, also took to social media platform X to confirm that the first North Korean prisoners of war have reached Kyiv. He clarified that these individuals are regular troops from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and not mercenaries. Sybiga called for increased pressure on both the Moscow and Pyongyang regimes, underscoring the need for international scrutiny regarding their military cooperation.
