Ukraine’s “I Want to Live” (Хочу жить) project, a surrender hotline operated by the country’s Defense Intelligence (HUR), has called on North Korean soldiers sent to fight against Ukraine to surrender and avoid participating in combat operations.
“We appeal to the soldiers of the Korean People’s Army who were sent to support the Putin regime. Don’t die senselessly on foreign soil. Do not repeat the fate of hundreds of thousands of Russian soldiers who will never return home. Surrender! Ukraine will provide you with shelter, food, and warmth,” read the project’s appeal on Wednesday.
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Thousands of Russian soldiers who have surrendered made the right choice and are now awaiting the end of the war in comfortable conditions, receiving three hot meals a day and medical care, the project said.
“It doesn’t matter how many soldiers Pyongyang sends or to which sector – they will be accepted. Ukrainian prisoner-of-war camps are ready to receive soldiers of any nationality, religion, or ideology,” the appeal said.
HUR Chief Kyrylo Budanov told The Economist on Tuesday, Oct. 22, that Russia has reached an agreement with North Korea, under which Pyongyang would send its troops, including 500 officers and three generals, to support Russian forces.
In return, Russia would provide North Korea with financial assistance and modern technologies to help the country develop its nuclear program and expand its nuclear arsenal, according to Budanov.
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Ukraine and South Korea both claimed in mid-October that Pyongyang had deployed troops to aid Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, likely as a result of the mutual defense pact signed in June.
This is a developing story. Read more about North Korean troop deployments in Ukraine here.
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