North Korean soldiers being killed by own side to prevent capture, says Zelensky
North Korean soldiers are being killed by their own side to prevent them from being captured by Ukrainian forces, President Zelensky has announced.
The Ukrainian leader said he had received information from the frontline revealing how wounded North Korean troops were being finished off to prevent them from falling into the hands of their enemy.
"Everything is done in a way to prevent these North Koreans from being captured by us. Their own side finishes them off. There are such facts," he said.
"There are details regarding the situation in the Kursk region: battles involving North Korean soldiers," Mr Zelensky added in a message released online.
"They are suffering heavy losses, and it's evident that the Russian military and their North Korean overseers have no interest in these soldiers' survival.
"Moreover, Russians send them into assaults with minimal protection.
"Today, we received reports that several North Korean soldiers were taken prisoner by our forces. However, they were severely wounded, and it was not possible to save them.
"This is one of the manifestations of the madness dictatorships are capable of.
"The people of North Korea should not be losing their lives in battles in Europe."
President Zelensky was briefed on the situation by General Oleksandr Syrskyi, with additional reports also being received from Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Kharkiv.
North Korea is believed to have deployed at least 12,000 soldiers and 500 officers - including three generals - to support Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Zelensky said China should be persuading Pyongyang not to send any more troops in support of Russia.
He said: "This can be influenced, among others, by North Korea’s neighbours, particularly China.
"If China is sincere in its statements that the war should not expand, it needs to exert the necessary influence on Pyongyang."
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