Seoul, Jan 12, 2025-
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine has captured two wounded North Korean soldiers in Russia’s western Kursk region, and investigators are questioning them.
Zelensky shared the intelligence on his X account on Saturday that Tactical Group No. 84 of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and paratroopers captured the North Koreans in the Russian border region, reports Yonhap news agency.
“Two soldiers, though wounded, survived and were transported to Kyiv, where they are now communicating with the Security Service of Ukraine,” Zelensky wrote, posting photos of the two wounded men.
Zelensky said capturing them alive was “not an easy task” as Russian forces and other North Korean military personnel usually execute their wounded to erase any evidence of Pyongyang’s involvement in the war against Ukraine.
“As with all prisoners of war, these two North Korean soldiers are receiving the necessary medical assistance,” he said, noting the Ukrainian security service will grant journalists access to the prisoners.
In late December, Zelensky said Ukraine captured an injured North Korean soldier, but he later died.
Meanwhile, last month, North Korean troops dispatched to Russia for combat against Ukraine have installed more observation posts to detect Ukrainian drones, Ukraine’s military intelligence service had said, amid reports of North Korean forces suffering heavy combat losses.
The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) had disclosed this on its website after the United States confirmed for the first time that North Korea suffered ‘significant’ troop losses alongside Russian forces against Ukraine.
“After suffering severe losses, DPRK units began to set up additional observation posts to detect drones of the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine,” the DIU said, referring to the North by the acronym of its official name — the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
The DIU also noted that Moscow continued to use North Korean troops in Russia’s western front-line region of Kursk.
“The constant accumulation of assault groups by DPRK army personnel in the Kursk region indicates that Moscow does not want to lose the pace of offensive actions,” it said, adding that North Korean troops use red tape to identify themselves at the front, Yonhap news agency reported.(Agency)
