Kyiv (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukrainian president, said Ukrainian forces operating in Russia’s Kursk region had captured two North Korean soldiers.
Zelensky said on Jan 11, 2025, in a statement on X, featuring images of injured soldiers,
“Our soldiers have captured North Korean military personnel in the Kursk region. Two soldiers, though wounded, survived and were transported to Kyiv, where they are now communicating with the Security Service of Ukraine.”
Zelensky expressed of the two Korean troops who had been arrested:
“This was not an easy task: Russian forces and other North Korean military personnel usually execute their wounded to erase any evidence of North Korea’s involvement in the war against Ukraine.”
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) confirmed its cooperation with Korean interpreters alongside the South Korean intelligence service so that communication of the two taken North Korean soldiers is being processed. This can enable the country’s authorities to communicate effectively since the individuals do not communicate in Ukrainian, English or Russian language.
How many North Korean troops are active in Kursk?
According to Ukraine and the West, around 11,000 North Korean servicemen are on the ground there in the Russian region of Kursk. This step was taken immediately after Ukrainian military forces crossed a border in early August 2024 and managed to seize territory of several hundred square kilometers that they had reportedly occupied.
In recent updates, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said more than 1,000 North Korean troops had been killed or wounded in the Kursk region during the last week of December 2024. It shows the major casualties that North Korean forces have encountered while fighting along with Russian troops in ongoing operations.
Our soldiers have captured North Korean military personnel in the Kursk region. Two soldiers, though wounded, survived and were transported to Kyiv, where they are now communicating with the Security Service of Ukraine.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 11, 2025
This was not an easy task: Russian forces and other North… pic.twitter.com/5J0hqbarP6
