Ukraine Captures North Korean Soldiers: A New Development In The Ongoing Conflict

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he is willing to hand over two captured North Korean soldiers to Pyongyang in exchange for Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia.

“For those North Korean soldiers who do not wish to return, there may be other options available,” Zelensky said on X. Those who want “to bring peace closer by spreading the truth about this war in Korea will be given that opportunity”, he added.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said one of the two soldiers told officials he thought he was going to Russia for “training” rather than to fight.

He was found with a Russian military ID card issued in the name of another person. The other soldier had no documents.

SBU said the two men, who were taken prisoner on 9 Jan, are in Kyiv and receiving medical care.

They only speak Korean and are being questioned with the assistance of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, SBU said.

Russia has not denied using North Korean troops in its war against Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin said in October that it was his country’s “sovereign decision” whether or not to deploy such troops.

On Saturday, Zelensky posted photographs of the two captured soldiers, showing one of them with his head and chin in a bandage while the other had both his hands fully wrapped up.

Zelensky also shared a photo of a red Russian military ID card that gives the place of birth as Turan in the Russian republic of Tuva, which shares a border with Mongolia.

SBU said that the soldier found with the ID card told interrogators he had been issued the document during the autumn of 2024 in Russia.

According to SBU, he also said that some of North Korea’s combat units had undergone a one-week training at the time.

“It is noteworthy that the prisoner… emphasizes that he was allegedly going for training, not to fight a war against Ukraine,” the SBU statement said.

Zelensky’s office said in a statement on Saturday that the Russians “are trying to hide the fact that these are soldiers from North Korea by giving them documents claiming they are from Tuva or other territories under Moscow’s control”.

The intelligence service reported that the soldier carrying the ID card said he was born in 2005 and had been serving North Korea as a rifleman since 2021.

Implications For International Relations

The capture of North Korean soldiers by Ukraine introduces new dynamics into an already complex geopolitical landscape. It raises questions about how this incident will affect relations between Ukraine, Russia, and North Korea.

Zelenskyy’s willingness to negotiate an exchange could signal a strategic move to bolster Ukraine’s position while also potentially undermining North Korea’s military credibility.

Furthermore, this situation highlights the precarious nature of alliances formed during conflicts. The willingness of North Korean soldiers to engage in combat alongside Russian forces may reflect broader issues within their military structure and command.