Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed willingness to release North Korean soldiers captured in Ukraine’s operations in the Kursk region of Russia in exchange for Ukrainian soldiers held captive in Russia.
“Ukraine is ready to hand over [North Korean leader] Kim Jong Un’s soldiers to him if he organizes their exchange for our warriors being held in Russia,” Zelensky stated on Sunday, January 12, in a post on X, accompanied by a video allegedly showing two captured North Korean soldiers being interrogated.
On Saturday, Ukraine announced the capture of two North Korean soldiers, marking the first instance of Ukrainian forces detaining troops from the reclusive state.
Neither Russia nor North Korea has officially acknowledged the presence of North Korean soldiers in Russian territory.
In the video shared by Zelensky, the captured soldiers appear injured and seem to be speaking under duress. A translator can be heard relaying questions from the interrogator.
One soldier, lying down in the video, claims he was unaware he was participating in a war against Ukraine, stating his commanders told him it was a training exercise. When asked if they wish to return to North Korea, one soldier nods, while the other hesitates before indicating he might prefer to stay in Ukraine but later adds he will follow instructions.
In his nightly address, Zelensky mentioned that one of the soldiers had “expressed a desire to stay in Ukraine.”
According to Ukrainian and Western intelligence, approximately 11,000 North Korean troops are stationed in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces have occupied significant territory since a cross-border incursion in August.
Ukraine estimates over 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or injured in the region, while U.S. intelligence suggests “several hundred” casualties since October.
South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-Kwon, citing a briefing from the National Intelligence Service, reported that around 300 North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia have died, with 2,700 more injured.
Zelensky vowed to continue capturing North Korean soldiers, stating on X: “In addition to the first captured soldiers from North Korea, there will undoubtedly be more. The world must recognize the extent of Russia’s reliance on military aid from North Korea.”
