‘There Should Be No Doubt Left in the World’ – Ukraine at War Update for Jan. 13

Ukraine captures North Korean soldiers, proposes exchange

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that two North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia were captured alive by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region for the first time.

Kyiv first revealed the capture on Saturday, but concrete details were confirmed by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) a day later. The soldiers, aged 20 and 26, were reportedly wounded in battle and are now being held in Kyiv for further interrogation.

In a video of the interrogation also shared on Zelensky’s Facebook, one of the North Korean prisoners, through an interpreter, claimed he was initially sent to Russia under the guise of military training. “I did not know I was going to fight in a war with Ukraine,” he said, adding that his commanders informed him it was only a training mission.

When asked about his future, the other prisoner said he would follow orders but seemed to express interest in staying in Ukraine if given the opportunity.

Zelensky also offered a potential path for those who refuse to return to North Korea: “For those North Korean soldiers who do not wish to return, there may be other options available. Those who express a desire to bring peace closer by spreading the truth about this war will be given that opportunity,” he said.

He hinted that more North Korean soldiers could be captured soon and emphasized that Ukraine remains committed to upholding humanitarian principles for POWs. 

Other Topics of Interest

Polish General Sacked After Missing Anti-Tank Mines Found in IKEA Railway Wagon

The army general was reportedly sacked and four soldiers charged after they failed to unload nearly 250 landmines being sent to an ammunition depot near the village of Mosty in July.

While Pyongyang and Moscow have remained silent on the matter, intelligence reports from Seoul indicate that more than 10,000 North Korean troops may already be operating in Russia. South Korea said in December that significant losses had been reported among these forces, including high-ranking officers, due to Ukrainian drone strikes and artillery shelling.

Zelensky offers Ukrainian firefighters to aid wildfire-ravaged Los Angeles

In a gesture of international solidarity, Zelensky has offered to send 150 Ukrainian firefighters to Los Angeles, California, where raging wildfires have left a trail of destruction and dozens dead.

Over the past week, the fires have claimed at least 24 lives, destroyed entire communities, and forced hundreds of thousands to evacuate. Local authorities warn that conditions may worsen due to strong winds expected in the coming days.

“The situation there is extremely difficult, and Ukrainians can help Americans save lives,” Zelensky said in a video post on Sunday. He noted that he had already instructed the Minister of Internal Affairs to coordinate efforts and prepare the firefighters for deployment. “Our rescuers are ready, and the aid is currently being coordinated with US officials,” he added.

Zelensky’s offer comes as the United States remains Ukraine’s largest wartime ally, having provided more than $65 billion in military aid since the Russian full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

While US President Joe Biden has reaffirmed his support for Ukraine, incoming President-elect Donald Trump has suggested he could resolve the conflict in “24 hours” once in office. Trump’s comments have raised concerns in Kyiv about potential pressure to negotiate peace on unfavorable terms.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles County Fire Department chief Anthony Marrone expressed gratitude for international offers of assistance but emphasized that local efforts have so far managed to contain the worst of the blazes. “We have received significant reinforcements, including dozens of water trucks, but the coming days will be critical,” Marrone said.

Strong winds, with speeds of up to 70 mph (113 kph), could spread the fires into previously unaffected areas, posing a renewed threat to densely populated neighborhoods.

Zelensky’s gesture reflects Ukraine’s broader strategy of maintaining and strengthening ties with key international partners. Despite being embroiled in a full-scale war, Kyiv has continued to extend diplomatic and humanitarian assistance around the world during times of high need despite the challenges facing Ukraine from the ongoing war.

Russian forces capture new villages amid intensifying eastern offensive

While diplomatic and humanitarian developments unfold, the war rages on in eastern Ukraine. On Sunday, Russia’s defense ministry claimed to have captured two villages–Yantarne in Donetsk and Kalinove in Kharkiv.

Both settlements are strategically positioned near key Ukrainian supply routes, making them significant targets in Moscow’s broader strategy to cut off logistics hubs and encircle Ukrainian forces.

“Russia continues to use artillery and aviation to soften our defenses before advancing ground units,” Ukrainian military spokesperson Oleksiy Dmytrashkivsky said in a televised briefing. He confirmed that Russian forces have made incremental gains but stressed that Ukrainian troops are fortifying defensive lines to prevent further encroachment.

The village of Kalinove is located near the Oskil River, a natural barrier that has historically served as a dividing line between Russian and Ukrainian forces. 

According to Dmytrashkivsky, Russian troops have managed to establish a foothold on the river’s western bank, raising concerns about potential advances toward Kupians–a strategically vital city recaptured by Ukrainian forces during their counteroffensive in late 2022.

Ukrainian military analysts believe Moscow’s ultimate goal is to seize control of key transportation routes and encircle Ukrainian troops in the region. The capture of Yantarne and Kalinove, if consolidated, could enable Russian forces to launch further attacks toward major cities like Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials in Kherson reported that eight civilians were injured in a series of Russian drone strikes on Sunday. In the Russian-occupied section of Kherson, local authorities claimed that a Ukrainian drone attack resulted in the death of a 76-year-old woman.

“Russian aviation carried out two air strikes on the area of the boarding school in Sudzha, as a result of which one woman suffered a laceration wound to her arm, and died in the morning,”  Dmytrashkivsky said on Sunday. “The premises of the school were heavily damaged, all the windows and doors were smashed,” he said. 

He added that Russian forces continue to rely on mass artillery bombardments and air strikes to weaken Ukrainian defenses before advancing.“Today we have a big question–where to move people, how to keep them warm,”  he said.

In the southern Kherson region, Ukrainian authorities reported that eight civilians were injured in separate drone attacks on Sunday. In the Russian-occupied section of Kherson, a drone strike by Ukrainian forces reportedly killed a 76-year-old woman, according to the Russian-installed governor Vladimir Saldo.

In Russia’s Saratov region, a fire at an oil depot caused by a Ukrainian drone strike earlier in the week, continued to burn on Sunday. Local governor Roman Busargin said firefighters were working “24 hours a day” to extinguish the blaze, adding that the total area of the fire had decreased.