Ukrainian Forces Capture Two North Korean Soldiers in Kursk Region

Ukrainian forces have captured two North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region. The capture took place on January 9, and was confirmed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

According to the president’s statement on Telegram, the two soldiers, though wounded, survived and are now in the custody of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) in Kyiv, where they are cooperating with investigators.

The operation to capture the soldiers was described as challenging, as military forces from Russia and North Korea typically ensure that their wounded are eliminated to prevent any evidence of North Korean involvement in the war against Ukraine.

Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude to the Ukrainian special forces and paratroopers for successfully completing the operation. He also confirmed that the captured soldiers are receiving necessary medical treatment as per international humanitarian law.

Following the capture, the two soldiers were transported to Kyiv for further investigation, and Zelenskyy instructed the SBU to facilitate media access to the detainees. “The world needs to know what is happening,” he said.

According to SBU, the soldiers, who do not speak Ukrainian, English, or Russian, are being interviewed through South Korean translators in coordination with the National Intelligence Service of South Korea. Preliminary investigations have revealed one of the detainees had a Russian-issued military ID in the name of another person, with registration in the Republic of Tuva, Russia. The other soldier was without any documents.

During questioning, the soldier with the Russian military ID stated that he had received the document in Russia in the fall of 2024. He further explained that during that time, a group of North Korean military units underwent joint training with Russian forces. He claimed to have joined the military in 2021 and was assigned to the position of rifleman. He also stated that he was unaware of the actual nature of his mission and believed he was only participating in training rather than engaging in combat against Ukraine.

The second detainee, born in 1999, is reported to have served in North Korea’s military since 2016 as a sniper and reconnaissance soldier. He corroborated his fellow soldier’s statement but provided some responses in writing due to a jaw injury sustained during the capture.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed at the 25th Ramstein meeting that North Korea has suffered 4,000 casualties—killed or wounded—in the ongoing war against Ukraine. Zelenskyy criticized Pyongyang’s involvement, highlighting it as a strategy to gain modern warfare experience at the expense of its soldiers’ lives.