Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday expressed Kyiv's readiness to hand over two captured North Korean soldiers to Pyongyang in exchange for the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war being held in Russia.

According to Anadolu Agency, on Saturday, Zelenskyy stated that two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian troops during battles in Russia's Kursk region, where Kyiv launched an incursion back in August 2024. While South Korea's National Intelligence Service supported Ukraine's account the following day, neither North Korean nor Russian officials have commented on Zelenskyy's remarks.

"If (North Korea leader) Kim Jong Un even remembers these citizens of his and is capable of organizing an exchange for our warriors being held in Russia, we are ready to transfer such soldiers," Zelenskyy conveyed in a late video address. He noted that Ukraine's Security Service continues to work with the two North Korean prisoners who were transferred to Kyiv upon their capture. Zelenskyy claimed that one of them has expressed a desire to stay in Ukraine, while the other wants to return to North Korea.

Zelenskyy further warned that there will "undoubtedly" be more North Korean soldiers being captured by Ukrainian forces, suggesting ongoing tensions and military activities involving North Korean personnel.