KYIV, Ukraine, Dec 28, 2024 (V7N) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed Friday that several North Korean soldiers, captured while fighting alongside Russian forces, succumbed to their wounds despite Ukrainian efforts to save them.

"Today there were reports about several soldiers from North Korea. Our soldiers managed to take them prisoner. But they were very seriously wounded and could not be resuscitated," Zelensky said in a social media address.

The announcement comes amid heightened concerns over North Korea's involvement in Russia's nearly three-year war against Ukraine. South Korea's intelligence agency confirmed earlier in the day that a North Korean soldier captured during combat had died from injuries sustained on the battlefield.

Zelensky did not specify the number of North Korean casualties but emphasized their presence as evidence of an escalation by Moscow.

North Korea has reportedly deployed thousands of troops to assist Russian forces, particularly in the western Kursk region, where Ukraine launched a surprise offensive in August.

Zelensky claimed that the North Korean soldiers have suffered significant losses, with little regard for their survival shown by Russian military commanders or their North Korean overseers.

"They have a lot of losses. A lot," Zelensky stated. "The Russian military and North Korean supervisors are not interested in the survival of these Koreans at all. The Russians send them on assaults so that they have minimal protection."

The Ukrainian president urged China to leverage its influence on Pyongyang to prevent further escalation of the conflict.

"If China is sincere in its statements that the war should not expand, it needs to exert a corresponding influence on Pyongyang," Zelensky said, highlighting Beijing’s close ties with both Russia and North Korea.

The involvement of North Korean soldiers in Russia's war has raised alarms internationally, with analysts warning it could mark a dangerous precedent for global conflicts. Pyongyang’s decision to send troops reflects its growing alignment with Moscow and willingness to contribute to its partner’s military objectives.

As the war intensifies, Ukraine’s resistance against this expanded coalition underscores the stakes in a conflict that has already redrawn the geopolitical map

END/WD/RH/