Ukraine Captures Two North Korean Soldiers in Russia’s Kursk Region

Volodmir Zelensky

Ukraine captures two North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region, begins investigations.
North Korean soldiers claim training mission, not combat against Ukraine.
SBU communicates with prisoners using Korean translators, with South Korean intelligence support.

Ukraine claims to have captured two North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region, transporting them to Kyiv for questioning by its domestic intelligence agency, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

Eko Hot Blog reliably gathered that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on X that the prisoners were “communicating” with the SBU and alleged that Russian forces, along with North Korean military personnel, often execute their wounded to conceal Pyongyang’s involvement in the war.

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The SBU reported that one soldier had no identification, while the other carried a Russian military ID card belonging to a man from Tuva, a Russian region near Mongolia.

Communication with the prisoners is being facilitated through Korean translators with the assistance of South Korean intelligence.

According to the SBU, one of the soldiers claimed he had been informed he was being sent to Russia for training, not combat. Both men have received medical treatment in compliance with the Geneva Conventions. However, Ukraine has not provided evidence verifying their North Korean origin.

Ukraine has long alleged North Korean involvement in the war, particularly in the Kursk region, where it launched an incursion in August.

This marks the first time Kyiv’s intelligence services have interrogated individuals they say are North Korean soldiers.

Previously, Ukraine claimed to have captured other North Korean soldiers, but stated they were severely wounded and died shortly after capture.

Last month, a senior Ukrainian official reported that approximately 200 North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian forces in Kursk had been killed or injured.