Sun Jan 12 04:48:02 UTC 2025: ## Ukraine Claims Capture of North Korean Soldiers Provides “Undisputable Evidence” of Involvement in War
**Kyiv, Ukraine** – Ukraine announced Saturday the capture of two wounded North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region of Russia, claiming this provides irrefutable proof of Pyongyang’s participation in the ongoing war. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) is currently interrogating the soldiers, who are being treated for injuries at a detention center.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the capture on social media, stating that the soldiers, described as experienced combatants, are providing crucial information to investigators. One soldier reportedly claimed he was sent for training, not combat, while the other’s account remains unclear due to a jaw injury. Zelenskyy pledged to allow media access to the prisoners of war, emphasizing the world’s right to know the truth.
The SBU released a video showing the two men, who are reportedly communicating with investigators via Korean interpreters with the assistance of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS). While the SBU asserts the capture provides “indisputable evidence,” they have not yet publicly released conclusive proof beyond the soldiers’ statements and a Russian military ID card found on one of them, which allegedly belonged to another individual. This finding fuels existing reports suggesting Russia might be concealing North Korean fighters through the issuance of false identities.
This is not the first time Ukraine has claimed the capture of North Korean soldiers. In December, Kyiv reported the capture of several wounded soldiers who subsequently died of their injuries. Zelenskyy attributed the difficulty in capturing North Korean soldiers to a deliberate Russian and North Korean effort to eliminate wounded soldiers and prevent evidence of North Korean involvement in the conflict. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga called for increased pressure on both Moscow and Pyongyang.
Meanwhile, Russia claims territorial gains in eastern Ukraine, specifically reporting the capture of Shevchenko, a village northwest of Kurakhove in the Donetsk region. The Ukrainian military, however, disputes these claims, stating that Russian offensive actions in the area have been halted. Fighting continues fiercely in the region, with reports of casualties in Pokrovsk and a drone strike killing a civilian in Zaporizhzhia.
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