TAIPEI, Taiwan – A North Korean soldier captured by Ukraine in Kursk said he came to Russia without knowing who he was fighting, according to footage of an interrogation released by the Ukrainian leader Volodymr Zelenskyy.
Ukraine said earlier its forces captured two North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk in January. Both were wounded and are in custody in Kyiv, reportedly receiving medical attention.
“Even when I came out here, I didn’t know that I was going to Russia, or that our enemy was the Ukrainian people,” said the North Korean soldier.
In the five-minute and 30-second clip released on Monday, the soldier can be seen lying on a bed, while listening to and answering questions from a Ukrainian investigator through a Korean interpreter.
“There were many of them among the colleagues who came with me, but I don’t know how many in total,” he added.
The soldier, who said he joined the army at the age of 17, said his mother didn’t know about his mission.
The soldier explained that he arrived in Russia by ship from North Korea and then travelled by train, adding just more than 100 North Korean soldiers were aboard the ship, and the same number boarded the train.
As for the type of ship, the soldier said that it seemed to be a Russian ship and that it was a general ship, such as a cargo ship, rather than a warship.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, or NIS, released detailed satellite images in October, which it said showed the first deployment of North Korean troops. The spy agency said it spotted the North transporting its special forces troops to Russian territory on a Russian naval transport ship between Oct. 8 and 13.
At that time, about 1,500 North Korean soldiers were transported during the first phase, using four amphibious landing ships and three escort vessels owned by Russia, according to NIS.
When asked whether he had been trained in the use of Russian-made weapons and military equipment, the soldier said a few people were “selected” to receive such a training, but not him.
Radio Free Asia has not been able to independently verify the video.
“The North Korean soldier who was taken prisoner and the Ukrainian security service investigator are continuing to communicate,” Zelenskyy said on his X account in a message in Korean.
“The fact that these soldiers were moved to Russian territory, trained, and that such information was completely cut off was confirmed through the prisoners’ statements … All the facts about North Korea’s involvement in this war will be confirmed,” the Ukrainian leader added.
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Zelenskyy said in early January that Ukraine was prepared to swap captured North Korean troops for its soldiers being held prisoner by Russia, after releasing a video of the two captured soldiers.
He added at that time that there would “undoubtedly be more” captured North Koreans and suggested that they could help Ukraine get out information about the war to help end it.
Since December, North Korean soldiers have been actively fighting alongside Russian forces in Kursk according to Ukraine and the United States. They say as many as 12,000 North Korean soldiers are in Russia to support its war against Ukraine – although neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has acknowledged this.
Despite gaps in knowledge and experience, reports suggest that the North Koreans have proven willing to continue attacking no matter how many casualties they suffer.
Ukraine reported on Jan. 4 an estimated 3,800 casualties among North Korean soldiers, saying they proved to be easy targets for Ukrainian drones since they were unfamiliar with the difficulties of drone warfare and were struggling to adapt.
South Korea estimated on Jan. 13 that more than 300 North Koreans had been killed and about 2,700 wounded.
Edited by Mike Firn.