A captured North Korean soldier fighting for Russia in Ukraine has claimed he didn’t know whom he would be fighting against when he was shipped out from Pyongyang to Russia’s Kursk region.

Newsweek reached out to Russia’s Foreign Ministry and the North Korean Embassy in London for comment via email.

Why It Matters

Ukraine and South Korea said in December that Pyongyang had deployed an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 servicemen to southern Russia to fight Ukrainian forces. Neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has confirmed the deployment of troops from North Korea to fight Ukrainian forces.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on January 11 that two had been captured alive, and that they are being interrogated by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in Kyiv.

What To Know

In a video released by Zelensky on Monday, the captured North Korean soldier said he arrived to Russia via a transport cargo vessel with some 100 others, before they took a train to the Kursk region.

The soldier told the interrogator he didn’t know before coming to Russia that he would be fighting in the country alongside Russian forces. He said he was also unaware whom he was fighting against once in Russia.

“Did you know anything about South Korea? What did you know?” the interrogator asked.

“I only know that South Korea has fewer mountains than North Korea,” the North Korean soldier answered.

He said that there were many casualties in Russia, but said “overall, it’s hard to answer about such large-scale numbers.”

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) said earlier this month that about 300 North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia to fight against Ukrainian forces have been killed, and a further 2,700 injured.

Some of the soldiers are thought to belong to Pyongyang’s special forces. They were sent by Kremlin ally Kim Jong Un, arrived in the country in October 2024, and were assessed to have entered combat in early December.

The NIS said North Korean troops in Russia are suffering massive casualties in part due to the lack of understanding of modern warfare.

The intelligence service also said that some are blowing themselves up to avoid capture.

What People Are Saying

A captured North Korean soldier said in a video released by Ukraine on January 20: “I didn’t know before coming to Russia that I would be fighting here, in Russia, and I didn’t even know who we were fighting against.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X, formerly Twitter, on January 13: “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. There should be no doubt left in the world that the Russian army is dependent on military assistance from North Korea.

“Putin started three years ago with ultimatums to NATO and attempts to rewrite history, but now he cannot manage without military support from Pyongyang,” Zelensky added.

“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.

“For those North Korean soldiers who do not wish to return, there may be other options available. In particular, those who express a desire to bring peace closer by spreading the truth about this war in Korean will be given that opportunity.”

What Happens Next?

Zelensky said the SBU will continue to interrogate captured North Korean soldiers. “All the facts about North Korea’s involvement in this war will be established,” he said Monday on X.