North Korea has officially confirmed for the first time that it has sent soldiers to fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, mainly in the Kursk region.
In a statement released by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the country’s leadership said that sending troops was part of a “sacred mission” to help Russia push back Ukrainian forces. Kim Jong Un praised the soldiers for their “heroic feats” and said their actions were critical in defending their allies.
This move follows the mutual defense treaty signed between North Korea and Russia in 2024, deepening military ties between the two countries.
According to intelligence reports, North Korea deployed up to 12,000 troops to Ukraine last year. Thousands are believed to have died in combat, marking North Korea’s first major foreign military involvement in decades.
Kim Jong Un reportedly said the North Korean forces were sent to “annihilate and wipe out the Ukrainian neo-Nazi occupiers” and help liberate the Kursk region alongside Russian troops. He also announced that a monument would soon be built in Pyongyang to honor the soldiers who fought in Ukraine, according to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency.
Putin Thanks North Korean Soldiers for Fighting in Kursk
Russian President Vladimir Putin praised North Korean soldiers for their “heroism and dedication” in helping Russian forces defeat Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region. He said the DPRK troops “defended our Motherland as if it were their own, earning everlasting glory.”
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