Ukraine was desperate to capture North Korean troops. Here’s how they finally did it

This image made from a video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office on Jan. 11, 2025, shows Ukrainian forces capturing two North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian forces in Russia’s Kursk border region - (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

When Ukrainian soldiers captured two North Korean prisoners of war last month, it provided the first undeniable proof of Pyongyang’s direct involvement in the war against Ukraine.

It also shed some light on the mindset and training of the conscripted North Korean soldiers sent to fight Russia’s war a continent away from their home.