Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Saturday that Ukrainian forces have taken two North Korean soldiers captive, who were injured but alive, while they were fighting for Russia.

This is the first instance where Ukrainian officials have reported capturing North Korean soldiers since they were sent to Russia to participate in the conflict beginning in October, as indicated by both Ukraine and U.S. sources.

In a post on X, Zelensky mentioned that the soldiers were apprehended in the Kursk region of Russia, an area Ukraine has been aiming to secure following incursions there last summer. The captured soldiers were then taken to Kyiv where they are now in contact with Ukrainian authorities.

Zelensky stated, “This operation was challenging: Russian troops along with other North Korean military members typically execute their wounded to cover up any indication of North Korea’s participation in the war against Ukraine.”

According to White House National Security Advisor John Kirby, North Korean forces have sustained “substantial casualties” in the region, with over 1,000 dead or injured in just a week. Some soldiers allegedly chose to take their own lives instead of surrendering to Ukraine, Kirby mentioned in a recent press briefing.

The North Korean personnel have been primarily deployed as light infantry and mortar teams at the frontlines in Kursk, noted a high-ranking U.S. military official in December. Many of these soldiers are reportedly inexperienced in combat, the official added.

Trump announces plans to meet with Putin

Zelensky’s report comes as President Joe Biden is set to transfer the presidency to President-elect Donald Trump on January 20. Trump recently stated that he is coordinating a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“He is interested in meeting, and we are in the process of arranging it,” Trump declared at a news conference held at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Thursday. He stressed the urgency to end the conflict, describing it as a “bloody mess.”

Following Trump’s remarks, the Kremlin indicated its willingness to accommodate the meeting, although no specific details have been finalized yet.

Concerns have been raised by Ukraine and its allies regarding Trump’s established rapport with Putin and statements indicating he could promptly bring an end to the conflict, particularly regarding potential reductions or termination of U.S. support for Ukraine. Incoming Vice President J.D. Vance has suggested proposals such as freezing Ukraine’s borders as they currently are and delaying Ukraine’s NATO membership indefinitely.

Since the Russian invasion nearly three years ago, the U.S. has provided over $30 billion in military assistance and armaments to Ukraine. On Thursday, the Biden administration announced a new aid package worth $500 million, which includes air defense missiles, munitions for ground attack, and support materials for F-16 fighter jets.

Simultaneously, as Biden nears the end of his term, his administration on Friday enforced significant sanctions against Russia’s two major oil firms and over 180 of its oil tankers, which transport oil primarily to India and China. These nations have played an increasing role in receiving Russian oil exports since Europe reduced trade after the invasion.

A senior official described the sanctions as “the most substantial yet imposed on the Russian energy sector, which is the largest contributor to financing the Kremlin’s military operations.”

In October, South Korea noted that over 1,000 North Korean troops had been dispatched to training camps in eastern Russia. Working in conjunction with Ukraine, the intelligence service of the country utilized facial recognition technology and artificial intelligence to spot North Korean military officers located in the Donetsk region.

Putin has progressively strengthened ties with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, culminating in the signing of a defense agreement during Putin’s visit to North Korea in June.

Contributing: Reuters