Ukraine Confirms Capturing North Korean Troops

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has proposed a prisoner exchange with North Korea, offering to return captured North Korean soldiers in exchange for Ukrainian POWs held by Russia. This follows the confirmation from South Korea's National Intelligence Service that Ukraine captured two North Korean soldiers in Russia's Kursk region, marking the first known capture of North Korean troops in the ongoing conflict. Zelensky released a video showing the captured soldiers, one of whom expressed a desire to stay in Ukraine, while the other indicated a willingness to return to North Korea. Ukraine, South Korea, and the US accuse North Korea of deploying over 10,000 troops to aid Russia, although both Moscow and Pyongyang have not acknowledged this. Zelensky emphasized that the Russian military's reliance on North Korean assistance highlights its struggles in the conflict. The captured soldiers reportedly suffered severe injuries and shortages during combat in Ukraine.