Ukraine to Exchange Two North Korean Soldiers for Captured Troops in Russia, Zelenskyy Announces

Ukraine has proposed a prisoner swap, offering to exchange captured North Korean soldiers for Ukrainian troops held by Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Sunday via X Ukraine’s willingness to release two captured North Korean soldiers in exchange for Ukrainian troops detained by Russia.

Zelenskyy stated that he would grant opportunities for the North Korean soldiers who did not wish to return home if they shared the truth about the war in Korea for the sake of peace. This proposal was posted in English, Ukrainian, and Korean. He also asserted that there is clear evidence of Russian forces relying on North Korean military aid.

Zelenskyy disclosed the capture of two North Korean soldiers last week, revealing that they were being interrogated with assistance from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service. Photos released show the North Korean soldiers carrying suspected counterfeit Russian military IDs from the Tuva Republic. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported that the captured soldiers have been transferred to Kyiv for medical treatment.

According to the SBU, the North Korean soldiers were both born in 1999 and had undergone a week-long interoperability training in Russia. In the Ukraine conflict, the soldiers believed they were there for training, not deployment. The soldiers reportedly served as reconnaissance snipers in the North Korean military since 2016. Zelenskyy criticized Russian forces on Saturday for attempting to conceal the soldiers’ North Korean origins by issuing false documentation claiming alternative origins.