Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Sunday that Kyiv is willing to return two captured North Korean soldiers to Pyongyang in exchange for Ukrainian prisoners of war held in Russia.
“Ukraine is ready to hand over Kim Jong Un’s soldiers to him if he can organise their exchange for our warriors,” Zelenskyy wrote on X, adding that Kyiv anticipates capturing more North Korean troops in the ongoing conflict.
Zelenskyy’s offer came hours after South Korea’s National Intelligence Service confirmed Ukraine’s announcement from the previous day that it had captured two North Korean soldiers.
“For those who do not wish to return, there may be other options,” he continued, offering opportunities for soldiers willing to help “spread the truth” about Russia’s invasion.
Kyiv on Saturday said that they had been wounded fighting Ukraine’s troops in Russia’s Kursk region, but at the time did not provide any proof of their nationality.
Kyiv released a video showing the soldiers in a detention facility, with one visibly bandaged and describing severe injuries. One captured soldier told interrogators he was initially informed he would be sent for training but realised he was deployed to a combat zone upon arrival in Russia.
Ukraine, South Korea, and the United States accused North Korea of sending over 10,000 troops to assist Russian forces. Neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has acknowledged such deployments.
However, Russia and North Korea have significantly deepened military ties since the onset of the conflict in 2022.
Zelenskyy accused Moscow of becoming “dependent” on North Korean military aid and described the use of Pyongyang’s soldiers as an indicator of Russia’s challenges in sustaining its war efforts.
South Korean intelligence had further confirmed that North Korean units have suffered “significant losses” on the battlefield in Ukraine. The captured soldiers reportedly experienced severe shortages of food and water during combat engagements.
Seoul warned that North Korea is preparing for additional deployments to bolster Russia’s war efforts. Despite mounting international scrutiny, neither Russia nor North Korea has commented on the reports of troop contributions.
The Ukrainian president previously claimed that thousands of North Korean soldiers have been “killed or wounded” fighting for Russia. South Korean intelligence estimated the number of casualties to be at least 1,000.
