The capture of North Korean soldiers is beneficial for Ukraine, said the representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Yevheniy Yerin, in an interview on Radio Svoboda.
"In any case, I can say that this is the right and necessary incident for Ukraine and our position, which we will use for our interests. It's interesting and valuable information that we can obtain from them. Plus, the very fact of confirmation of participation from the direct participants from North Korea's territory is also very important for us," Yerin stated.
According to him, Ukraine had prepared for working with North Korean soldiers, and specialists familiar with the specifics of North Korea are currently working with the captives.
"The participation of the military from this country has been known for a long time and was announced by the Main Intelligence Directorate. Believe me: we were prepared. And not only we, but all the relevant services involved in this process, were prepared for such actions. And accordingly, they are fully ready within the limits set by Ukrainian legislation," Yerin emphasized.
Currently, as Yerin mentioned, Ukrainian intelligence is investigating whether North Korea will continue sending soldiers to Russia for combat operations. There is no information at this time suggesting these soldiers have been deployed in Ukraine.
Yerin also discussed how the presence of these soldiers affects the fighting in the Kursk region:
"The very fact of their presence is already a factor that influences the course of the war, though not critically or decisively, but it does have an effect. Their main task is usually participation in assault operations or other types of operations. They are typically used within marine infantry or airborne troops of the Russian Armed Forces. And they are primarily considered as cannon fodder. However, there are specialists among them who handle various tasks, but overall, they are, so to speak, infantry."
