Krotevich, former commander of the Azou Regiment, "Korean President is in no position to threaten Zelenskiy."

(Istanbul = Yonhap News) Correspondent Kim Dong-ho = A famous former Ukrainian soldier who fought against Russia criticized South Korea over the controversy related to the process of repatriating North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea.

Bohdan Krotevich (33), a former commander of the Azou Regiment of the Ukrainian Army, wrote in an English article posted on

“I would like to remind Koreans that the word ‘martial law’ itself is a word that causes greater fear than the possibility of North Korea’s actual military action or provocation,” Krotevich said.

He added, “I don’t mean to offend, but the Korean president needs to think carefully about who he is talking to and what he is saying,” and added, “If Korea is attacked, the day may come when Ukraine proves to be one of Korea’s few true allies.”

Krotevich emphasized, “As today’s reality clearly shows, the most important thing in a crisis is to have real allies who will stand by your side, not allies that only exist on paper.”

This was a remark made amid controversy over the cancellation of the agreement after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy revealed on the stage of the United Nations General Assembly last month that two North Korean prisoners of war held in Ukraine had been repatriated to South Korea.

On the 2nd, President Lee Jae-myung said through

President Lee warned, “If you continue to refuse to acknowledge the facts and make a public apology, we will take additional measures,” and added, “This is a matter of concern for the people of the Republic of Korea and the prestige of the country, and cannot be tolerated.” Regarding this, some are discussing the idea of ​​recalling Park Ki-chang, Ambassador to Ukraine, to Korea.

Krotevich, who retired as lieutenant colonel after resigning from his position as chief of staff of the Ukrainian Army's Azov Regiment in February last year, made his name known through the Mariupol anti-war operation against Russia.

The Azou Alliance has its roots as a far-right militia.

Krotevich joined this unit in 2014, when Russia forcibly annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula. In early 2022, he was surrounded by Russian troops at the Azoustal steel mill in Mariupol and fought desperately for 80 days before being captured by the Russian military and returning to Korea shortly after in a prisoner exchange.

Afterwards, he became famous for his 'remarks of conviction' telling other commanders not to disregard the lives of soldiers. After leaving the military, he has been engaging in external activities such as media interviews as a military expert.