Zelenskyy Claims Capture of Two North Korean Soldiers Fighting for Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced in January 2025 the capture of two North Korean soldiers. The announcement supplied the first hard evidence that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had sent approximately 15,000 special forces troops to back Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

North Korea dispatched the troops in return for billions of dollars in military technology and cash intended for its nuclear weapons programme.

Zelenskyy released photographs of the prisoners and allowed media access to their detention facility. International human rights organisations stated that the public exposure of the prisoners violates the Geneva Convention. The organisations added that the disclosure places both the captured soldiers and their families inside North Korea at serious risk.

Al Jazeera's 101 East programme examined whether the North Korean prisoners are being treated as political instruments in the ongoing conflict. The 47-minute-07-second episode also reviewed the practical difficulties of relocating such prisoners to South Korea. The programme was published on 30 May 2026.