Ukraine managed to take captive two military servicemen from North Korea fighting on the side of russia in the Kursk operational axis. One prisoner of war was secured and evacuated by the troops from the 84th Tactical Group of the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces and the other by the Air Assault Forces. The captives received first aid and are currently interrogated by the Security Service of Ukraine.
The SOF Command published a video showing part of this operation from a scout drone's point of view. The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, shared the mission details on social media.
Read more: Private Jong’s Notes: the Special Operations Forces Offer Insights into North Korean Tactics Against Ukraine
"This was not an easy task: russian forces and other North Korean military personnel usually execute their wounded to erase any evidence of North Korea’s involvement in the war against Ukraine," he posted.
In a photo published by Zelenskyi, the military ID of one of the North Korean soldiers stated he was born in the Republic of Tuva, a federal subject of russia. The document was handed to him in the fall of 2024. The Ukrainian President said he ordered SSU that media reporters and journalists get access to the POWs: "The world needs to know the truth about what is happening."
According to a statement by SSU, the North Koreans were captured on January 9th, 2025. After receiving first aid in line with the Geneva Conventions, the two were brought to Kyiv.
"The prisoners do not speak Ukrainian, English, or russian, so communication with them is facilitated by Korean translators in cooperation with South Korean intelligence."
One of the captives was born in 2005, he told the SSU interrogators that he has been in military service since 2021 and thought he was going on a military drill but ended up fighting against Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk Region. The other one was born in 1999, in service since 2016 as a scout sniper.
There is an investigation involving the Prosecutor General's Office under the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Based on the outcome of these proceedings, the POW may face charges of participation in a war of aggression.
Read more: Ukraine's SOF Warriors Eliminate North Korean Soldiers, Reveal Their Documents (Photos)
