The Kremlin has refused to comment on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's statement that he is ready to hand over to Pyongyang two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region, Agence France-Presse reported.
"We cannot comment on it in any way", Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters today. "We don't know what the reality is", he added.
Neither Moscow nor Pyongyang have so far confirmed or denied the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers on the front in the Kursk region. The deployment was announced by Kiev and its South Korean, American and European allies.
"We continue to discuss the possibility of a prisoner exchange, which is not an easy task (...), but for us the life of every Russian soldier is important", Peskov added.
On December 30, Ukraine and Russia announced another exchange of more than 300 prisoners on New Year's Eve, with the mediation of the United Arab Emirates.
Since the start of the Russian offensive in February 2022, Moscow and Kiev have exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war and regularly exchange the remains of soldiers killed in the fighting.
A South Korean lawmaker, citing Seoul's intelligence agency, said about 300 of the thousands of North Korean soldiers sent by Pyongyang to support Russia in its attack on Ukraine have been killed so far, AFP reported. In December, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said nearly 3,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed or wounded in the fighting between Ukraine and Russia. Seoul put the number at 1,000.