(Kyiv) – The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has provided details about the first two North Korean soldiers captured while fighting alongside Russian forces in the Kursk region. The soldiers, both from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), were detained during Ukrainian military operations and are now under investigation for their involvement in the Russian war effort against Ukraine.
The SBU confirmed that the soldiers were captured on January 9, 2025, by Ukraine’s elite tactical groups. One soldier was apprehended by soldiers from Tactical Group No. 84 of the Special Operations Forces (SSO), while the other was captured by paratroopers from the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Footage of the capture has been made public, showing the North Korean soldiers being detained and provided with medical care on the battlefield, in accordance with international law under the Geneva Convention.
The SBU stated that after their capture, the soldiers were immediately transported to Kyiv, where they are being questioned by Ukrainian investigators. The prisoners were provided with the necessary medical care, and officials confirmed that they are being held in conditions that comply with international standards. Due to language barriers, communication with the prisoners is being facilitated through Korean translators in collaboration with South Korean intelligence.
Interestingly, one of the captured soldiers was found to be in possession of a Russian military ID card issued in the name of another individual from the Republic of Tuva, a region in Russia. The soldier revealed that he had been issued the document by Russian authorities in the fall of 2024, and that some combat units from North Korea had been coordinating with Russian military groups for about a week. According to Ukrainian authorities, the soldier, who was born in 2005, had been serving in the North Korean military since 2021 and had been sent to Russia under the pretense of training, not to engage in combat.
The second prisoner, born in 1999, was identified as a sniper scout who had been serving in the North Korean military since 2016. He confirmed his companion’s statements and provided answers in writing due to a jaw injury sustained during the operation. The two prisoners are now being held as part of the ongoing investigation, which is being carried out under the guidance of Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office. They are being investigated under Article 437 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which addresses the planning, preparation, and waging of an aggressive war.
Ukraine’s capture of the North Korean soldiers highlights the expanding international involvement in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, as Russian forces continue to seek support from various foreign entities, including North Korea. The SBU’s investigation will likely shed more light on the extent of North Korean participation in the war and how foreign soldiers are being integrated into Russia’s military operations.
External Video: SBU Shares Footage of North Korean Soldiers Captured in Kursk
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