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Ukraine captured two wounded North Korean soldiers who were fighting on the side of Russia in the border region with Russia, South Korea’s intelligence reported, confirming information from President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky on Saturday.
Seoul’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) told AFP it “confirmed that the Ukrainian military captured two North Korean soldiers on January 9 at the Battle of Kursk in Russia.”
The confirmation came after Zelensky said in a message on the Telegram messaging app that two captured North Korean soldiers had been wounded and taken to Kyiv, where they are in contact with the Ukrainian SBU special services.
The SBU published a video showing two prisoners lying on beds in prison cells. The authenticity of the video cannot be independently verified.
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In this unverified photo shared by the Ukrainian military, a captured North Korean soldier appears to be sitting on a bed in a cell with injuries. (Handouts for the Ukrainian army)
The doctor interviewed on the SBU video said that one soldier received a facial wound, and the other received an open wound and a fractured lower leg. Both men received medical treatment.
In this unverified photo shared by the Ukrainian military, a captured North Korean soldier appears to be lying on a bed in a cell with injuries. (Handouts for the Ukrainian army)
The SBU also reported that one of the soldiers had no documents at all, while the other had one with him Russian military ticket a card in the name of a man from Tuva, a Russian region bordering Mongolia.
The Ukrainian military says North Korean soldiers are dressed in Russian military uniforms and carry fake military IDs in their pockets, a pattern that Ukrainian military intelligence spokesman Andrei Yusov said could mean Moscow and “its representatives at the UN can deny the facts.” “
Despite statements by Ukraine, the United States and South Korea that Pyongyang has sent 10,000-12,000 troops to fight alongside Russia in the Kursk region, Moscow has never publicly acknowledged that North Korean forces.
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While reports of their presence first appeared in October, Ukrainian forces confirmed engagement on the ground only in December.
On Thursday, Zelensky put the number of North Koreans killed and wounded at 4,000, although US estimates are lower, at around 1,200.
Soldiers are seen at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, on October 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin, File)
Despite North Korea’s losses and initial inexperience on the battlefield, Ukrainian soldiers, military intelligence and experts believe that first-hand experience will only help them further develop as a fighting force.
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“For the first time in decades, the North Korean army is gaining real military experience,” Yusov said. “This is a global challenge – not only for Ukraine and Europe, but also for the whole world.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
