**Ukrainian Forces Capture North Korean POWs in Russia**
For the first time, Ukrainian forces have captured two North Korean soldiers during hostilities in Russia’s Kursk Oblast. The soldiers were taken prisoner on January 11, and President Volodymyr Zelensky announced their capture as “irrefutable evidence” of Pyongyang’s involvement in Moscow‘s full-scale invasion.
**A Minor Propaganda Coup?**
While the capture is seen as a significant propaganda victory for Ukraine, military experts say it may not be that important in the grand scheme. “In terms of the war in Ukraine and the numbers of prisoners taken by both sides, they’re just two more soldiers,” said retired Australian Major General Mick Ryan.
Ryan also doubts that the POWs will provide much new insight into the inner workings of the North Korean military. North Koreans have defected to South Korea before, and there is already a flow of information from these defections.
**Can There Be a Prisoner Swap?**
President Zelensky has expressed willingness to return the POWs to North Korea if Kim Jong Un negotiates the release of Ukrainian POWs in Russia. However, experts say this may not be that simple. North Korean troops have been ordered to kill themselves rather than be taken prisoner.
**Human Rights Concerns**
A video released by Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces shows a North Korean soldier detonating a grenade near his face when Ukrainian troops approach. This raises complications about returning the POWs in a prisoner swap, as there is a substantial risk they would be subjected to human rights violations.
Professor Andrew Clapham of the Geneva Graduate Institute says this would be a violation of the Geneva Conventions. “There’s a chance one would think that they would be punished for failing to carry out those orders (to kill themselves),” he said.
**What Awaits the Captured Soldiers?**
The two North Korean POWs are currently in the custody of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in Kyiv, receiving medical attention. They are being questioned with the help of Korean translators and South Korean intelligence.
One POW has said he was born in 2005 and began serving as a rifleman in North Korea in 2021. The other POW was born in 1999 and has served in the North Korean army since 2016 as a sniper reconnaissance officer.
As of now, it’s unclear where they will end up. They could remain in Ukrainian hands or be sent to South Korea.