Zelenskyy says he is ready to exchange North Korean soldiers for Ukrainians held in Russia

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday Kyiv is ready to hand over captured North Korean soldiers to their leader Kim Jong Un if he can facilitate their exchange for Ukrainians held captive in Russia.

"In addition to the first captured soldiers from North Korea, there will undoubtedly be more. It's only a matter of time before our troops manage to capture others," Zelenskyy said on the social media platform X.

Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Ukraine had taken two North Koreans prisoner in Russia's Kursk region, the first time Ukraine has announced the capture of North Korean soldiers alive since their entry into the nearly three-year-old war last autumn.

Ukrainian and Western assessments say that some 11,000 troops from Russia's ally North Korea have been deployed in the Kursk region to support Moscow's forces. Russia has neither confirmed nor denied their presence.

Zelenskyy has said Russian and North Korean forces had suffered heavy losses.

"Ukraine is ready to hand over Kim Jong Un's soldiers to him if he can organize their exchange for our warriors who are being held captive in Russia," Zelenskyy said.



Reuters