Ukrainians appeal to North Korean soldiers who came to Ukraine to fight on the side of Russia to surrender as prisoners of war. “Ukraine will shelter you, feed you and warm you! Thousands of Russian soldiers have made the right choice and are now waiting for the end of the war in good conditions,” wrote the statement of the “I want to live” project on Telegram. The statement was published in Korean and Russian.
“We appeal to the fighters of the Korean People's Army who were sent to help Putin's regime. You should not die senselessly on foreign soil. You should not repeat the fate of hundreds of thousands of Russian soldiers who will never return home,” it wrote on Telegram.
“Surrender yourselves into slavery! Ukraine will shelter you, feed you and warm you! Thousands of Russian soldiers have made the right choice and are now waiting for the end of the war in good conditions: comfortable barracks, three hot meals a day, medical care,” the statement read.
“Ukrainian prison camps are ready to accept soldiers of any nationality, religion and ideological views,” it added.
North Korean soldiers during a parade. Photo from 2018HOW HWEE YOUNG/PAP/EPA
North Korea sends special forces soldiers to Russia
“I want to live” is a state project of the coordination staff for the treatment of prisoners of war. It was created with the support of the Ministry of Defense Ukraine and the Main Intelligence Directorate for soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the Republic Belaruswho voluntarily surrender as prisoners of war.
South Korea's intelligence agency reported last week that North Korea sent about 1.5 thousand special forces soldiers to Russia to participate in the war against Ukraine. According to a South Korean intelligence source, Pyongyang is to send 12,000 soldiers from an elite special forces unit to Ukraine.
Main photo source: HOW HWEE YOUNG/PAP/EPA