Ukrainian authorities on Saturday announced the capture of two North Korean soldiers in Russia, saying they were the first to be captured alive since Pyongyang sent troops to aid Moscow's war effort.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the two soldiers, who were wounded, were captured in the Kursk region of western Russia, where Ukrainian forces were fighting to hold territory seized during a border raid last summer.
In a statement sent to different communication channels, Mr. Zelensky said that the soldiers received medical assistance as required by the Geneva Conventions, and were taken to the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, to be investigated.
Ukraine's intelligence service, the SBU, said one of the soldiers was captured on Thursday. It did not give details, or say when the second was arrested, but said they were the first North Koreans who fought against Ukraine in Kursk to be captured.
Their capture, the SBU said in a lengthy statement, provides “undeniable proof of North Korea's involvement in Russia's war with our country.”
The Kremlin has not directly confirmed that North Korean troops are fighting Moscow's troops.
The investigation was carried out by Korean translators in cooperation with South Korea's intelligence service, according to the SBU. South Korea's embassy in Ukraine did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Neither Russia nor North Korea had an immediate comment.
Ukraine's intelligence service and Mr Zelensky both shared photos and videos of the two soldiers, showing one with his jaw tied and the other handcuffed.
According to the rules governing the treatment of prisoners of war under the Geneva Conventions, governments must protect a prisoner of war from being a “public curiosity,” a concept sometimes interpreted as not presenting them in any public place.
Heavy fighting has broken out in Kursk as Russian forces try to drive Ukrainian troops back to the border. Reinforced by more than 11,000 North Korean troops, Russian troops have regained nearly half of the lost territory in the area.
But Ukraine clings to more than 150 square kilometers of territory inside Russia. The White House said North Korean troops suffered heavy casualties.
Last month, the Biden administration said more than 1,000 North Korean soldiers were killed or wounded fighting Ukrainian forces in Kursk during the week — some chose to commit suicide.
South Korean intelligence officials said the deployment of North Korean troops was so rushed — the soldiers entered the battle after learning various military terms, such as “open fire” and “weapon” in Russian — that it may take time to integrate well with Moscow's forces.
The capture of the two soldiers could provide Ukraine with valuable intelligence on Russian military operations in Kursk and cooperation with North Korean forces.
In a statement on Sunday, Ukraine's intelligence service said one of the captured soldiers told interrogators he thought he was being sent to Russia for training – not to fight in Ukraine. That soldier, according to the SBU, was carrying a Russian military ID card.
Mr. Zelensky alluded to that point in his Sunday night speech, saying “the Russians are releasing their documents to these Koreans, but they will not deceive anyone.”
Ivan Nechepurenko again Anastasia Kuznetsova reporting contributed.
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