North Korean soldiers executed Ukrainian troops who attempted to surrender, according to reports.

The Wall Street Journal reports, citing the Korean branch of the Human Rights Foundation, which assisted Ukrainian intelligence in analyzing documents seized from North Korean military personnel.

Some of the documents discovered with an unnamed North Korean officer indicate that the soldiers from North Korea witnessed the deaths of their comrades, leading them to execute Ukrainians.

“Our soldiers, who saw their fellow comrades fall, ruthlessly killed those who attempted to surrender,” the journalists quote the North Korean officer.

In addition to the WSJ, the Washington Post has also written about the killings of Ukrainian soldiers by North Korean troops. According to the documents cited by the publication, North Korean soldiers killed several Ukrainian soldiers, which reportedly angered the Ukrainians and “prolonged the battle.”

Executions of Captured Ukrainian Fighters

As of November 2024, law enforcement authorities have investigated 53 criminal cases regarding the execution of 177 military personnel. In just October and November, 13 such cases were registered concerning 54 fighters.

This year, the number of criminal cases opened regarding the murders of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russians has increased more than fourfold compared to 2022 and 2023.