By Pavel Polityuk
KYIV (Reuters) -Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy mentioned on Sunday Kyiv is able to hand over North Korean troopers to their chief Kim Jong Un if he can facilitate their change for Ukrainians held captive in Russia.
“Along with the primary captured troopers from North Korea, there’ll undoubtedly be extra. It is solely a matter of time earlier than our troops handle to seize others,” Zelenskiy mentioned on the social media platform X.
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Zelenskiy mentioned on Saturday that Ukraine had captured two North Koreans in Russia’s Kursk area, the primary time Ukraine has introduced the seize of North Korean troopers alive since their entry into the practically three-year-old conflict final autumn.
Ukrainian and Western assessments say that some 11,000 troops from Russia’s ally North Korea have been deployed within the Kursk area to assist Moscow’s forces. Russia has neither confirmed nor denied their presence.
Zelenskiy has mentioned Russian and North Korean forces had suffered heavy losses.
“Ukraine is able to hand over Kim Jong Un’s troopers to him if he can organise their change for our warriors who’re being held captive in Russia,” Zelenskiy mentioned.
He posted a brief video displaying the interrogation of two males who’re offered as North Korean troopers. Certainly one of them is mendacity on a mattress with bandaged palms, the opposite is sitting with a bandage on his jaw.
One of many males mentioned via an interpreter that he didn’t know he was combating towards Ukraine and had been advised he was on a coaching train.
He mentioned he hid in a shelter in the course of the offensive and was discovered a few days later. He mentioned that if he was ordered to return to North Korea, he would, however that he was prepared to remain in Ukraine if given the prospect.
Reuters couldn’t confirm the video.
“Certainly one of them (troopers) expressed a need to remain in Ukraine, the opposite to return to Korea,” Zelenskiy mentioned in a televised assertion.
Zelenskiy mentioned that for North Korean troopers who didn’t want to return house, there could also be different choices obtainable and “those that categorical a need to deliver peace nearer by spreading the reality about this conflict within the Korean (language) might be given that chance.”
Zelenskiy offered no particular particulars.
(Reporting by Pavel PolityukEditing by Ros Russell and Invoice Berkrot)
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