Ukrainian President Zelensky shares photos of captured North Korean soldiers
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky released photos showing captured Korean soldiers along with a Russian military ID allegedly issued to one of them. According to Zelensky, the evidence suggests Russia is trying to pass off a Korean soldier as a native of the Republic of Tuva, the homeland of former Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu.
"These are two soldiers who, despite being wounded, survived and were brought to Kyiv to speak with SBU investigators," Zelensky stated. "Russia and other North Korean military forces typically eliminate their wounded to erase evidence of North Korea's involvement in the war against Ukraine." Zelensky has instructed the Security Service of Ukraine to provide journalists with access to the prisoners. The world must see what’s happening.
According to an SBU (Security Service of Ukraine) statement, the captives do not speak Ukrainian, English, or Russian, requiring the use of Korean translators in coordination with South Korean intelligence.
"One soldier reported being born in 2005, serving as a shooter in North Korea since 2021. He, like Russian troops early in the full-scale invasion, claimed he was on exercises, not fighting against Ukraine," the statement claims. His fellow soldier, allegedly born in 1999 and serving as a sniper-recon at the North Korean army since 2016, corroborated his account.
This incident marks the first documented case of a North Korean soldier being captured in Ukraine, providing official evidence North Korea has dispatched troops to Ukraine. Despite repeated denials from Pyongyang and images surfacing on social media of similar military IDs, North Korea has consistently denied sending troops to aid Russia.
In October 2024, Russian president Putin dodged questions over the presence of North Korean soldiers, stating only that North Korea adheres to a partnership agreement clause on mutual defense.
Earlier reports from South Korean intelligence stated another North Korean soldier, previously captured by Ukraine in the Kursk region, had died in captivity.
Intelligence from Kyiv and Seoul indicates North Korea has deployed over 10,000 soldiers to assist Russia, with officials from South Korea noting signs of further troop and equipment deployments. President Zelensky recently claimed North Korea had suffered over 3,000 casualties in the Kursk region as of late December 2024.