Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that Kyiv is prepared to surrender North Korean soldiers it has captured if North Korean leader Kim Jong Un can work out a prisoner swap for Ukrainians detained in Russia. This follows Zelenskyy’s disclosure that Ukrainian forces had captured two North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region, becoming the first time Ukraine has ever announced the capture of North Korean soldiers since they entered the war nearly a year ago.
Zelenskyy said that in the coming months, more North Korean soldiers will be captured because Ukraine’s forces continue their operations in areas where Russian and North Korean troops are deployed. According to Ukrainian and Western sources, up to 11,000 North Korean troops are stationed in the Kursk region, though Russia has not confirmed their presence.
The two captured soldiers, according to the video posted by Zelenskyy, were shown bandaged on hands and jaw respectively. According to reports, they said they were unaware they were fighting Ukraine and were just there to participate in a training exercise. One soldier wanted to stay in Ukraine, and the other soldier was willing to go back to North Korea, if that’s what the order is. Zelenskyy said those North Korean soldiers who wanted to stay in Ukraine could be used to help peace efforts by informing people about the war in Korean.
Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine wants the released soldiers back only if they can swap them back for the Ukrainians Russia is holding. Details of the possible swap are not yet known.
