Sat Jan 11 14:06:25 UTC 2025: ## Ukraine Captures Two North Korean Soldiers in Kursk Region
**Kyiv, Ukraine (January 11, 2025)** – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced today the capture of two North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region, marking the first time Ukrainian forces have taken North Korean soldiers alive since their alleged entry into the war last autumn.
The soldiers, according to Zelenskyy’s post on X (formerly Twitter), have been transported to Kyiv and are cooperating with the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU). They are receiving medical care and will be made available for interviews with journalists.
This capture comes after Kyiv’s claims that North Korean regular troops, numbering in the thousands, joined the Russian forces in October. Ukraine maintains that these troops are fighting in the Kursk region, where a Ukrainian incursion began in August and where Ukraine claims to still control several hundred square kilometers of territory.
Prior to this capture, Ukraine reported taking North Korean soldiers prisoner, but those soldiers were severely wounded and subsequently died.
The announcement follows previous reports from Ukraine and its Western allies alleging that North Korea is providing Russia with significant quantities of artillery shells. North Korea has publicly stated its support for Russia until “victory” in Ukraine. President Zelenskyy has urged allies to take preemptive action to prevent further North Korean troop deployments to the front lines.
First Piper 