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Ukraine captures two North Korean troops, providing ‘indisputable evidence’ of Pyongyang’s involvement

Jan 12, 2025, 10:43am EST
A man Kyiv says is a North Korean soldier captured in Kursk, Russia.
Office of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy/X
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Ukraine has captured two North Korean soldiers, the first that Kyiv said it has taken alive since Pyongyang sent troops to assist in Russia’s war effort.

“Two soldiers, though wounded, survived and were transported to Kyiv, where they are now communicating with the Security Service of Ukraine,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. Ukraine’s internal security service said the troops were “indisputable evidence” of North Korean involvement in the war.

Ukrainian soldiers have said that, at first, North Korean troops seemed inexperienced on the battlefield, but were quickly getting up to speed.

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For the first time in decades, the North Korean army is gaining real military experience,” a military official told The Associated Press. “This is a global challenge — not just for Ukraine and Europe, but for the entire world.

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