Ukraine transferred two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said at the U.N. General Assembly. Ukrainian forces captured them in Russia’s Kursk region in January 2025; Zelenskiy gave no further details about the transfer.
Zelenskiy said one of the soldiers tried to kill himself when he realized he was about to be taken prisoner. He had earlier said he would hand the pair to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un if he could facilitate an exchange for Ukrainians held captive in Russia. Human rights groups urged their repatriation to South Korea, citing risks of punishment; South Korean media reported the soldiers wanted to defect there. South Korea’s unification and foreign ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Ukrainian and South Korean estimates put the number of North Korean troops sent to support Russia since 2024 at around 14,000–15,000, most deployed in Kursk. Ukrainian and independent assessments also say North Korea supplied Russia with millions of artillery and mortar rounds, ballistic missiles, long-range artillery and multiple-launch rocket systems.
