Ukraine says it captured two wounded North Korean soldiers in Russia

Two wounded North Korean soldiers have been taken prisoner by Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday.

Both men are receiving “necessary medical assistance” and are under the custody of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in Kiev, according to Zelensky.

The president said he was “grateful” for the capture of North Koreans by Ukrainian paratroopers and Special Operations Forces soldiers.

He added that “this has not been an easy task”, saying that Russian and North Korean soldiers will execute wounded North Koreans “to erase all evidence of North Korea’s involvement in the war against Ukraine”.

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

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

Zelensky also published photos of the two wounded men, but did not provide evidence of the North Koreans.

One image showed a Russian military ID card issued to a 26-year-old man from Russia’s Tyva region on the border with Mongolia.

Some reports have claimed that Russia is hiding North Korean fighters by providing them with false identity documents.

In December, South Korea’s intelligence agency reported this A North Korean soldier was the first to be captured while protecting Russia in its war in Ukraine. After being captured by Ukrainian forces.

Separately, the White House said North Korean forces were suffering massive casualties.