South Korea's spy agency said Friday it had confirmed that a North Korean soldier sent to back Russia's war against Ukraine had been captured by Ukrainian forces.

Pyongyang’s role in Ukraine war exposed as 1st North Korean combatant captured supporting Russian forces - Anadolu Ajansı

Ukrainian forces have captured an injured North Korean soldier who was sent to support Russia's war, South Korea's spy agency confirmed Friday. The soldier is believed to be the first North Korean prisoner of war captured since December, when Pyongyang deployed forces to support Russia's war in Ukraine.

The announcement followed reports from Ukrainian media outlet Militarnyi, which claimed the soldier was captured by Ukrainian special forces during operations in Russia’s Kursk region.

The deployment of North Korean troops to Russia was initiated by Pyongyang, not Moscow, according to U.S. officials. The initiative was swiftly approved by Vladimir Putin, as reported by The New York Times,

While some Western officials initially viewed the arrival of North Korean soldiers in Russia as evidence of the Kremlin’s desperation, U.S. agencies now reportedly believe the idea was North Korea’s initiative,

Zelensky warns of greater military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, including sending more troops and military equipment

Zelenskyy warns of over 3,000 North Korean casualties in Russia, signaling potential troop and equipment support for Moscow.