North Korean troops fighting for Russia in Ukraine thought the war was a military exercise, according to videos released by Ukraine.
Videos of two North Korean prisoners of war captured in Ukraine show them confessing via a translator that they did not know what country they were in, with one of the soldiers saying he was told they were being sent on a training exercise.
Russia has imported 12,000 troops from North Korea to help it gain territory in Ukraine since October, sending them to some of the most dangerous and deadly parts of the front, per Ukrainian reports.
Pyongyang and Moscow deny reports that North Koreans are fighting in Ukraine.
According to Ukrainian and South Korean intelligence, between 3,000 to 4,000 North Koreans have died since coming to fight in Ukraine, but recent footage of captured soldiers shows they might not have even known who they were fighting, or where they were dying.
Footage of a North Korean soldier, disseminated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier on Monday, shows the soldier stating that he did not receive adequate training, that he was transported over on a cargo ship not a military vessel, and that his mother does not currently know where he is.
“Communication between captured North Korean soldiers and SSU investigators continues. Intelligence data on the movement of such troops to Russian territory, their training and complete information isolation have been confirmed by the prisoners,” Zelensky wrote on X, formerly Twitter, alongside a video of the soldier.
Another video, released on January 12, shows a North Korean soldier being asked if he knows where he is and then shaking his head “no” in response.
According to Newsweek reporting, many North Korean soldiers in the war have been taking their own lives to avoid being captured. This may be due to orders from higher ups who are trying to remove evidence of North Korean participation in this war. It may also be due to North Korean soldiers fearing abuse as prisoners of war.
Additionally, the soldiers on camera may believe that they need to answer interrogations in a certain way due to fear of being tortured.
While the soldiers captured on camera said they did not know where they were being sent to fight, evidence of a dead North Korean soldier’s diary shows that he knew he was in Russia when he was fighting there, but was homesick for North Korea.
The diary entry read: “Longing for my homeland, having left the warm embrace of my dear father and mother here on Russian land,” according to The Sunday Times.
The families of the captured soldiers may also face severe repercussions back home, especially if they choose to defect to Ukraine, as the regime targets the families of defectors for punishment including isolation and forced labor.
President Volodymyr Zelensky: “In addition to the first captured soldiers from North Korea, there will undoubtedly be more. It’s only a matter of time before our troops manage to capture others. There should be no doubt left in the world that the Russian army is dependent on military assistance from North Korea…Ukraine is ready to hand over Kim Jong Un’s soldiers to him if he can organize their exchange for our warriors who are being held captive in Russia.”
Daniel Tudor, co-author of North Korea Confidential, told The Sunday Times: “The calculation they will be making is that ‘I could live in Europe and have a better life, but on the flip side, what could happen to my mum and dad?’ The regime could send your family to forced labor camps, potentially for a very long time.”
Donald Trump has said he will work on a ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine in his first 100 days in office.
Russia watchers have stressed that a ceasefire will need to address the root issue of Russian expansionism, and Ukraine’s long-term security.
© 2025, GDC. © GDC and www.globaldefensecorp.com. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to www.globaldefensecorp.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
