A wounded North Korean soldier, who had been captured by Ukrainian forces, succumbed to his injuries, according to the Yonhap news agency, citing a statement from South Korea’s intelligence agency.

According to the BBC, this is the first North Korean soldier to be taken captive by Kyiv since Pyongyang deployed troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine.

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service confirmed via an “allied intelligence agency” that the soldier died due to “severe injuries.”

South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) confirmed that Ukraine captured a wounded North Korean Soldier, marking the first known instance of a North Korean Combatant being seized. The Soldier was reportedly captured by Ukrainian Forces in Russia's Kursk Region, as… pic.twitter.com/bzqcjMUfov

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Kyiv reports that 12,000 North Korean military personnel, including “about 500 officers and 3 generals,” have been deployed to Russia’s Kursk region, parts of which were occupied by Ukrainian forces in August and remain under partial Ukrainian control. Neither Russia nor North Korea has officially acknowledged the presence of North Korean troops fighting alongside Russian forces.

The soldier’s capture was verified after a photograph of him was circulated on Telegram, as reported by intelligence agencies.

On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that nearly 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been “killed or wounded” since they began participating in battles alongside Russian armed forces. On the same day, Seoul reported 1,100 North Korean casualties, either dead or injured.

South Korea’s military general staff also announced that it has observed preparations indicating that North Korea is planning to send additional military units to Russia, either to reinforce or replace those already involved in combat, as well as drones.

An historic defense agreement between Russia and North Korea, signed in June, went into effect earlier this month. This agreement provides for “direct military assistance” in the event of an armed attack on either country by a third party.

Seoul believes that North Korea aims to modernize its conventional warfare capabilities with Russia’s help, leveraging the battlefield experience its troops gain while fighting against Ukrainian forces.

However, the involvement of North Korean troops has not significantly impacted the situation on the ground, according to Yevhen Yerin, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (GUR), speaking to AFP on Tuesday.

Yerin noted that North Korean troops lack experience in modern combat environments, particularly in dealing with drones, which are now ubiquitous on the battlefield, and rely on “more primitive tactics” reminiscent of “World War II or post-World War II” eras.

Both Ukraine and Russia have escalated their attacks in recent months. Massive Russian bombardments have targeted Ukraine’s energy sector, including on Christmas Day, as both sides strive to bolster their positions ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January.

The newly elected U.S. president has repeatedly pledged to end the Ukraine war “within 24 hours” and has called for an “immediate ceasefire” and peace negotiations.