North Korean troops set to bolster Russia in Ukraine conflict
North Korea may send up to 12,000 soldiers from an elite special forces unit to fight in Ukraine. Kim Jong Un's troops are expected to support Russian forces. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian initiative "I Want to Live" has appealed to the North Korean soldiers to surrender.
3:51 PM EDT, October 23, 2024
In an appeal published on Telegram in both Korean and Russian, the message addresses the soldiers of the Korean People's Army sent to support Putin's regime. "I Want to Live" emphasizes that Koreans should not die senselessly on foreign soil and should avoid the fate of the countless Russian soldiers who will never return home.
Surrender into captivity! Ukraine will shelter, feed, and keep you warm! Thousands of Russian soldiers made the right choice and are now awaiting the end of the war in good conditions: comfortable barracks, three warm meals a day, medical care," the statement highlights.
It was assured that Ukrainian prison camps are prepared to accept soldiers of "any nationality, religion, and ideological views."
North Korea sending soldiers to Ukraine
According to reports from the South Korean intelligence agency, North Korea recently sent approximately 1,500 special forces soldiers to Russia to support the conflict against Ukraine. There are also plans to send 12,000 soldiers from the elite special forces unit to Ukraine.
The "I Want to Live" project is a state initiative by the coordinating staff for the treatment of prisoners of war, created with the support of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Main Intelligence Directorate, as reported by the Polish Press Agency. It targets soldiers of the armed forces of Russia and Belarus, encouraging them to surrender as prisoners of war.
