S. Korea's spy agency confirms Ukraine's capture of injured N. Korean soldier

South Korea's spy agency on Friday confirmed Ukraine's capture of a wounded North Korean soldier following a news report about Ukrainian special operations troops seizing a North Korean fighter in the first reported instance of its kind.

The confirmation came as Ukraine's military-focused news outlet Militarnyi reported Thursday (local time) that Ukraine's forces captured the soldier during operations in Russia's western front-line region of Kursk, without specifying when the incident occurred.

A photo of the purportedly captured North Korean soldier, who appeared to have sustained injuries, circulated on Telegram. Details of the soldier's condition and status remained unknown.

If confirmed, it would mark the first time Ukraine has captured a North Korean soldier engaged in combat, according to Militarnyi.

Some 11,000 North Korean troops have been sent to Russia so far, with signs of preparations for further deployment of troops and military equipment, according to South Korean officials.