Ukraine's Military Intelligence (HUR) said the two North Korean soldiers, who were captured while fighting for Russia, are still being questioned.
Kiev has said it is willing to swap them for Ukrainian soldiers held by Moscow if North Korean leader Kim Jong Un can arrange such an exchange.
Speaking to RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service on January 13, HUR representative Yevhen Yerin said the capture of North Korean soldiers alive — the first time Ukraine has announced such a thing since North Korean soldiers entered in the war to support Russia - offer Kiev "many useful opportunities".
"The information we can gather from these individuals is important not only for operational intelligence, but also as a political tool to uncover the participation of the North Korean military in Russia's military actions," he said.
The capture of the two wounded soldiers, which was made public on January 11 by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has not yet been confirmed by either Moscow or Pyongyang.
Last fall, North Korea sent nearly 11,000 troops to the Kursk region to support Russian forces there. Moscow has recaptured close to 40 percent of the territory, but Ukrainian troops still control over 500 square kilometers in Kursk, and Pyongyang's troops are reportedly suffering massive losses.
Yerin said it appears that North Korean soldiers are being integrated into many parts of Russia's battleground in the Kursk region.
"They are mainly used as cannon fodder. However, among them there are also various specialists who deal with various issues, but in general they are part of the infantry," he said, referring to the soldiers who fight in support of Russia.
Earlier on January 13, South Korea's National Intelligence Service said more than 300 North Korean soldiers had been killed in Russia's Kursk region, while nearly 2,700 others were wounded.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SUB) said one detainee, who was said to have been born in 2005, claimed he believed he was going "to train, not to fight against Ukraine".
The other was forced to write his answers because he has jaw injuries, the SBU said. This soldier said he was born in 1999 and was a sniper in the North Korean army.
One of the captured soldiers is said to have said he would rather stay in Ukraine than return to North Korea, fearing he would be "severely punished" by his government, saying he would likely face execution or imprisonment. long term.
"North Korea's participation is not only important on the battlefield, but also has major diplomatic implications," Yerin said.
Zelensky has publicly accused Russia and North Korea of trying to hide evidence of the deployment of soldiers by giving forged documents to North Korean soldiers to present them as Russian citizens./ REL (A2 Televizion)
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