The Security Service of Ukraine is conducting investigative activities to establish the full circumstances surrounding the involvement of North Korean military personnel in Russia's war against Ukraine.

"An investigation is being conducted under the procedural guidance of the Office of the Prosecutor General in accordance with Article 437 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (planning, preparation, initiation, and conduct of an aggressive war)," the Security Service press center announced via its Telegram channel.

Ukrainian Defense Forces captured the first North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia in the Kursk region (Russian Federation). "Thus, the Security Service of Ukraine, which documents and investigates such crimes, has obtained indisputable evidence of North Korea's involvement in Russia's war against our state," the statement reads.

The captured individuals include two North Korean soldiers: one was detained on January 9, 2025, by fighters from Tactical Group No. 84 of the Special Operations Forces, and the other by paratroopers of Ukraine's Armed Forces.

"Immediately after their capture, the foreign nationals were provided with all necessary medical assistance in accordance with the Geneva Convention. They were transported to Kyiv for initial investigative procedures. They are being held in proper conditions that meet international legal standards," the Security Service assured.

The Security Service reported that the prisoners do not speak Ukrainian, English, or Russian, so communication is facilitated through Korean-language translators in collaboration with South Korea's National Intelligence Service.

At the time of capture, one of the foreign nationals was in possession of a Russian-style military ID issued under a different name, registered in the Republic of Tuva (Russia). The other had no documents at all.

"During interrogation, the North Korean soldier with the military ID stated to the Security Service officers that this document was issued to him in Russia in the fall of 2024. According to him, some North Korean combat units underwent a one-week coordination period with Russian forces during that time," the statement read.

The soldier claimed he was born in 2005 and held the position of a rifleman, having served in the North Korean military since 2021. Interestingly, like Russian soldiers during the early days of the full-scale invasion, the prisoner insisted he was allegedly sent for training exercises, not to participate in the war against Ukraine.

The second prisoner confirmed his "comrade's" testimony. Due to a jaw injury, some of his answers were provided in writing. Preliminary information indicates he was born in 1999 and has served in the North Korean army since 2016 as a sniper-scout.