Jan. 12 (UPI) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to catch more North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia after two were captured over the weekend, calling attention to what Zelensky considers Moscow’s weakened military.
“There should be no doubt left in the world that the Russian army is dependent on military assistance from North Korea,” Zelensky posted on Facebook.
The two North Korean soldiers were captured in the Kursk Oblast, a region of Russia bordering Ukraine, Zelensky said in a post on X. “Putin started three years ago with ultimatums to NATO and attempts to rewrite history, but now he cannot manage without military support from Pyongyang,” he continued, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelensky went on to say that North Koreans who have a change of heart after arriving on the front lines and are willing to advance peaceful efforts by “spreading the truth about this war in Korean will be given that opportunity.”
North Korean soldiers began fortifying Russian troops in the battle zone late last year. The United Nations has estimated that Pyongyang has deployed over 12,000 soldiers to Russia to support Moscow’s forces.
Zelensky said that he is willing to release North Korean soldiers being held captive in Ukraine in Russia’s Kursk region in exchange for Ukrainian soldiers being held in Russia, CNN reported Sunday.
“Ukraine is ready to hand over (North Korean leader) Kim Jong Un‘s soldiers to him if he can organize their exchange for our warriors who are being held captive in Russia,” Zelensky wrote in a post on X Sunday that included a video purportedly showing two North Korean POWs being interrogated.”
Both North Korean soldiers that were captured Saturday are shown in the video posted on Zelensky’s X page and appear to be injured, one with a wounded jaw, the other with injuries to his hands.