North Korean soldiers' shocking tale unfolds in Ukraine war
The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has disclosed details from the interrogations of two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian Defense 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, died from 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. The mention is of 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, working 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 had no documents.
During the interrogation, the North Korean soldier with the military document told SSU officers that he received it in Russia in the fall of 2024. According to his account, some 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 he was sent for training, not to fight against Ukraine.
The second prisoner of war, born in 1999, gave similar testimony. Some of his responses were given in writing due to a jaw injury. He has been serving in the North Korean army since 2016 as a sniper scout.
