Two wounded North Korean soldiers were held as prisoners of war by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region, President Zelensky said on Saturday.

Zelensky said the two were receiving “necessary medical assistance” in Kiev and were detained by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

The president said he was “grateful” to Ukrainian paratroopers and special operations troops for capturing the North Koreans.

“This is not an easy task,” he added, claiming that Russian and North Korean soldiers routinely execute wounded North Koreans “to eliminate any evidence of North Korean involvement in the war against Ukraine.”

In a statement posted on Telegram and X, Zelensky said the soldiers were “talking to SBU investigators” and that he had instructed Ukrainian security services to allow journalists access to them.

“The world needs to know the truth about what’s going on,” he added.

Zelensky also posted photos of two injured men but provided no evidence that they were North Koreans.

One image shows a Russian army ID card issued to a 26-year-old man from the Tuva region on Russia’s border with Mongolia.

Some reports say Russia is hiding North Korean militants by providing them with fake IDs.

In December, South Korean intelligence agencies reported that A North Korean soldier believed to be the first to be captured while supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine has died After being captured alive by Ukrainian troops.

Separately, the White House said North Korean troops were suffering mass casualties.