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

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

The two men are receiving “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 “grateful” to the Ukrainian paratroopers and Special Operations Forces soldiers for capturing the North Koreans.

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

In a statement posted on Telegram and

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

Zelensky also posted photos of two wounded men, but provided no evidence that they were North Koreans.

One image showed a Russian army ID card issued to a 26-year-old man from the Russian region of Tyva, bordering Mongolia.

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

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

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