Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned forces working in Russia’s Kursk area had captured two North Korean troopers, marking the primary time Ukraine had captured reside troopers from the remoted state.
“Our troopers captured North Korean navy personnel within the Kursk area. Two troopers, though wounded, survived and have been transported to Kiev, the place they’re now speaking with the Ukrainian Security Service,” Zelensky mentioned in an announcement on X on Saturday, which included a number of photographs of the wounded troopers.
According to Ukrainian and Western estimates, there can be round 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 12 months.
Last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned greater than 1,000 North Korean troopers have been killed or wounded in Kursk within the final week of December.
Zelensky mentioned of the 2 Korean troopers who had been captured: “It was not a straightforward activity: Russian forces and different North Korean navy personnel normally execute their wounded to erase any proof of North Korea’s involvement within the struggle towards Ukraine ”.
A video and {photograph} present a Russian navy ID that Ukraine claims was carried by a North Korean soldier taken prisoner by Ukrainian forces. CNN blurred the identify and date of beginning on the ID. – Security Service of Ukraine
Soldiers in bunk beds
Ukraine’s safety service, the SBU, launched a video purportedly displaying the troopers.
In the video, the SBU spokesperson says that one of many North Koreans was captured on January 9 by Ukrainian particular forces, whereas the opposite by Ukrainian paratroopers.
“They are being held in acceptable circumstances that meet the necessities of worldwide regulation,” the SBU mentioned.
The video reveals the 2 troopers within the bunk beds of a cell. One has a wound to his jaw. Neither of them are heard from. An unidentified physician says the second soldier has a damaged leg.
The SBU spokesperson mentioned that “communication with them is finished by Korean language interpreters”, in cooperation with the South Korean intelligence service.
Saturday’s seize is the primary time Ukraine has captured North Korean troopers alive from the battlefield.
The SBU launched photographs of a Russian navy identification card issued within the identify of one other individual from Tuva in Russia, which was reportedly carried by one of many captured troopers. According to the SBU, the soldier mentioned the doc was issued to him in Russia final fall. He additionally mentioned some North Korean fight models educated for less than per week with Russian troops. The different prisoner had no paperwork, the SBU mentioned.
The soldier mentioned he had been within the North Korean navy and had thought he can be despatched to Russia for coaching quite than fight, in keeping with the SBU account.
This comes as Ukraine on Sunday renewed its offensive on Kursk, the place its troops have maintained management of the territory after launching a shock incursion final summer time.
The Ukrainian navy mentioned on Tuesday it carried out a precision assault on a Russian navy command put up close to the city of Belaya.
Although Kiev’s troops superior quickly by Kursk in the summertime – within the first land invasion of Russia by a international energy since World War II – Russia in the end managed to repel the forces. The strains had remained largely static for weeks earlier than Ukraine’s newest push.
In his day by day speech on Monday, Zelensky mentioned the Kursk offensive was essential to stop Russia from redirecting its troops to Donetsk and different areas of japanese and southern Ukraine.
Although either side are exhausted after almost three years of struggle, preventing on the entrance strains has elevated in current weeks. With Donald Trump returning to the White House this month – vowing to finish the struggle in a day, with out saying how – Moscow and Kiev seem like making an Eleventh-hour push to gobble up territory and strengthen their negotiating palms 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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