Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated forces working within the Kursk area of Russia have captured two North Korean troopers, marking the primary time that Ukraine has captured alive troopers from the remoted state.
“Our troopers have captured North Korean navy personnel within the Kursk area. Two troopers, although wounded, survived and had been transported to Kyiv, the place they’re now speaking with the Safety Service of Ukraine,” Zelensky stated Saturday in a press release on X, which embrace a number of photos of the injured troopers.
In accordance with Ukrainian and Western assessments, some 11,000 North Korean troops are deployed within the Kursk area, the place Ukrainian forces occupy a number of hundred sq. kilometers after staging a cross-border incursion in August final yr.
Final week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated greater than 1,000 North Korean forces had been killed or wounded in Kursk within the final week of December.
Zelensky stated of the 2 Korean troopers who had been captured: “This was not a straightforward activity: Russian forces and different North Korean navy personnel often execute their wounded to erase any proof of North Korea’s involvement within the battle in opposition to Ukraine.”
A video and nonetheless {photograph} present a Russian navy ID which Ukraine claims was carried by a North Korean soldier taken captive by Ukrainian forces. CNN has blurred the identify and date of start on the ID. – Safety Service of Ukraine
Troopers in bunk beds
The Ukrainian Safety Service, the SBU, launched video purportedly displaying the troopers.
Within the video, the SBU spokesman says one of many North Koreans was captured on January 9 by Ukrainian particular forces, and the opposite by Ukrainian paratroopers.
“They’re being held in applicable situations that meet the necessities of worldwide legislation,” the SBU stated.
The video reveals the 2 troopers in bunk beds in a cell. One has a wound to his jaw. Neither is heard talking. An unidentified physician says that the second soldier has a fractured leg.
The SBU spokesman stated that “communication with them is carried out by interpreters of Korean,” in cooperation with South Korean intelligence service.
Saturday’s seize is the primary time that Ukraine has captured North Korea troopers alive from the battlefield.
The SBU launched photos of a Russian navy ID card issued within the identify of one other particular person from Tuva in Russia, which it stated was being carried by one of many captured troopers. In accordance with the SBU, the soldier stated he had been issued the doc in Russia final autumn. He additionally stated that a few of North Korea’s fight items had simply one-week coaching with Russian troops. The opposite captive had no paperwork, the SBU stated.
The soldier stated he had been within the North Korean navy and had thought he was being despatched to Russia for coaching quite than fight, in keeping with the SBU’s account.
It comes as Ukraine on Sunday renewed its offensive on Kursk, the place its troops have been holding territory after launching a shock incursion final summer time.
Ukraine’s navy stated on Tuesday that it had carried out a precision strike on a Russian navy command put up close to the city of Belaya.
Though Kyiv’s troops shortly superior by Kursk in the summertime – within the first floor invasion of Russia by a overseas energy since World Battle II – Russia finally managed to push the forces again. The traces had been largely static for weeks earlier than Ukraine’s newest push.
In his day by day deal with on Monday, Zelensky stated Kursk offensive was necessary in stopping Russian from redirecting its troops to Donetsk and different areas in jap and southern Ukraine.
Regardless of each side being drained after almost three years of battle, frontline combating has ramped up in current weeks. With Donald Trump set to return to the White Home this month – promising to finish the battle in a day, with out saying how – Moscow and Kyiv look like making an Eleventh-hour push to gobble up territory and strengthen their negotiating arms forward of potential peace talks.
This story has been up to date.
CNN’s Sophie Tanno, Christian Edwards, Nick Paton Walsh and Daria Tarasova-Markina contributed to this report.
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