North Korean soldiers captured in Ukraine expose covert ties
The Security Service of Ukraine has revealed details of the interrogations of two North Korean soldiers captured by the Ukrainian Defence Forces.
According to the SSU, these are the first North Korean soldiers to be taken prisoner. Earlier, media reports, citing South Korean intelligence, mentioned one prisoner from Pyongyang, who, however, succumbed to wounds sustained during combat operations.
Captured Koreans reveal their testimony
The Security Service of Ukraine emphasized that undeniable evidence has been obtained regarding North Korea's involvement in Russia's war against Ukraine. These are two North Korean soldiers—one was captured on January 9, 2025, by soldiers of the Tactical 84 Group of Special Operations Forces, and the other by paratroopers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Immediately after being taken captive, the foreigners received necessary medical assistance and were transported to Kyiv.
The prisoners do not speak Ukrainian, English, or Russian, so communication is conducted through Korean language translators in cooperation with South Korean intelligence NIS.
They didn't know they were going to war
At the time of capture, one of the prisoners had a Russian military document issued in the name of another person registered in the Republic of Tuva (Russian Federation). The other did not have any documents.
During the interrogation, the North Korean soldier who had the military document told the SSU officers that he received it in Russia in the fall of 2024. According to his account, part of the combat units from North Korea underwent a weeklong training with Russian occupation forces at that time.
The prisoner claims he was born in 2005, served as a shooter, and has been in the North Korean military since 2021. He maintains that he was sent for training, not to fight against Ukraine.
The second prisoner of war, born in 1999, provided similar testimony. Some of his responses were given in writing because he has a jaw injury. He has been serving in the North Korean army since 2016 as a sniper scout.
