Ukrainian forces captured two wounded North Korean soldiers as prisoners of war in Russia's Kursk Oblast region, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday.
Zelensky said the two men were receiving “necessary medical assistance” and were being held by the Ukrainian Security Service in Kiev.
The president said he was “grateful” to Ukrainian paratroopers and Special Operations Forces soldiers for capturing the North Koreans.
“This was not an easy task,” he added, claiming that Russian and North Korean soldiers routinely executed wounded North Koreans “to erase any evidence of North Korea's involvement in the war against Ukraine.”
In a statement posted on the Telegram and
He added: “The world needs to know the truth about what is happening.”
Zelensky also posted photos of two injured men, but did not provide evidence that they were from North Korea.
One photo showed a Russian army ID card issued to a 26-year-old man from Russia's Tiva region bordering Mongolia.
Some reports said that Russia is hiding North Korean fighters by giving them fake identity cards.
In December, the South Korean intelligence agency reported this A North Korean soldier believed to be the first to be captured has died while supporting Russia's war in Ukraine After Ukrainian forces captured him alive.
Separately, the White House said North Korean forces were suffering heavy casualties.
