Key developments on Jan. 12:
- 'Irrefutable evidence of North Korea's involvement' — Ukraine says it captured 2 North Korean POWs in Kursk Oblast
- Ukrainian drone hits large oil refinery in Russia’s Tatarstan, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation confirms
- Russia launches double airstrike on nursing home in Kursk Oblast, military claims
- Military: Russian troops dress as civilians in Toretsk, Donetsk Oblast
Ukrainian troops captured two North Korean soldiers as prisoners of war (POWs) in Russia's Kursk Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Jan. 11.
"This task was not easy," he said in a Telegram post.
"Usually, Russia and other North Korean military personnel finish off their wounded and do everything possible to ensure that no evidence of the participation of another state — North Korea — in the war against Ukraine is preserved."
The two wounded soldiers received necessary medical care and are in the custody of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in Kyiv, according to Zelensky. The president applauded Ukrainian paratroopers and soldiers from the Special Operation Forces for capturing the North Koreans.
North Korea deployed around 12,000 soldiers in Kursk Oblast, where Ukraine launched a surprise cross-border incursion in August 2024 to bring the war to Russia, a senior Ukrainian official familiar with the intelligence told the Kyiv Independent in December 2024.
Zelensky's statement comes nearly two weeks after the South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) said that Ukrainian troops had captured a wounded North Korean soldier in late December who died soon of his wounds.
"We confirmed through a friendly nation's intelligence organization that a North Korean soldier, captured alive on Dec. 26, died a short while ago as (his) wounds worsened," the NIS said on Dec. 27, as cited by South Korean Yonhap News Agency.
Applauding the "irrefutable evidence" of North Korean soldiers' participation in the Russian war against Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said on Jan. 11 that the POWs are being questioned with the help of Korean translators and South Korean intelligence.
Asami Terajima
Ukrainian drone hits large oil refinery in Russia’s Tatarstan, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation confirms
A Ukrainian drone hit the Taneko oil refinery in Tatarstan, Russian Telegram channel ASTRA reported on Jan. 11.
The refinery is one of the country's largest oil-processing facilities.
Workers at the refinery in Nizhnekamsk were evacuated amid the attack, and local footage showed smoke rising from the site.
Andrii Kovalenko, Head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation, confirmed the strike, and emphasized its strategic importance.
"The refinery plays a key role in providing fuel to the Russian military. Taking out refineries and oil depots directly affects Russia's ability to wage an intensive war," he said.
The refinery, which processes over 16 million tons of oil annually, was previously targeted in a drone attack in spring 2024, causing damage to its primary processing unit.
Taneko refinery is located in the city of Nizhnekamsk, around 1,300 kilometers from the country's border with Ukraine.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
Russia launches double airstrike on nursing home in Kursk Oblast, military claims
Russian troops have carried out a double airstrike on a nursing home in the Ukrainian-occupied Russian town of Sudzha, Kursk Oblast, Ukrainian military spokesperson Oleksii Dmytrashkivskyi, said on Jan. 12.
According to Dmytrashkivskyi, the attack, which took place on the evening of Jan. 11, left one woman with severe arm injuries, who died later in the morning of Jan. 12.
The attack also dealt heavy damage to the nursing home, with all windows and doors blown out, Dmytrashkivskyi added, speaking on national television.
According to him, around 2,000 Russian civilians remain in areas under Ukrainian control. Over 70 people are currently staying in the nursing home that came under attack.
"The question now is where to relocate these people. Most are elderly, and many suffer from disabilities, Parkinson's disease, post-stroke conditions, and one individual has a mental illness. The current state of these people is quite severe," the spokesperson said.
In a comment to the Kyiv Independent, Dmytrashkivskyi confirmed that the facility damaged was the same nursing home visited by media, including the Kyiv Independent, on press tours of Sudzha organized by the Ukrainian military.
The news comes days after Ukraine reportedly launched renewed offensive operations in Kursk Oblast, which is seen as a crucial bargaining chip for potential peace negotiations.
Military: Russian troops dress as civilians in Toretsk, Donetsk Oblast
Russian troops have been spotted dressing in civilian clothing to mask their movements in Toretsk, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine's 28th Mechanized Brigade reported on Jan. 12.
Aerial reconnaissance footage posted by the brigade on Facebook shows a couple of alleged Russian soldiers dressed in civilian clothes. The Kyiv Independent could not verify the images.
The brigade said it was "another violation of the rules of warfare" by Russian troops, as it can be classified as a war crime under international law.
According to the brigade, Russian infantrymen "attempt to divert attention and disguise themselves" in this way.
"However, they are exposed by their identical clothing, behavior, and sometimes even their weapons," the brigade wrote.
"Nevertheless, this still complicates the work of our soldiers, as the Ukrainian Armed Forces do not 'shoot at everything that moves,' unlike (Russian) occupiers."
Back in September, Ukraine accused Russian forces of 137,000 war crimes carried out as part of its full-scale invasion. Crimes include the mass abduction of Ukrainian children, the torture of residents in occupied territories, and the murder of civilians and Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs).
Earlier on Jan. 6, Ukraine’s Ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, reported that Russian troops had allegedly killed three Ukrainian POWs in the southwest of Donetsk Oblast.
"We are once again witnessing atrocities that demonstrate Russia's true face," the ombudsman said.
Daria Shulzhenko
