Kim Jong-un has officially acknowledged North Korea’s deployment of troops to Russia, marking the first instance of North Korean soldiers participating in the conflict in Ukraine.
State media reports describe the recent fighting in Russia’s Kursk region as demonstrating the “highest strategic level of the steadfast military alliance” between Pyongyang and Moscow, praising the involved soldiers as “heroes.” This confirmation arrives amidst Kremlin assertions – disputed by Kyiv – regarding North Korean assistance in regaining control of the Kursk area. Following a period of silence despite widespread Western media coverage, Russia has also validated the presence of North Korean personnel.
A statement released Monday by North Korea’s KCNA news agency cited the ruling party, noting the Kursk battle’s conclusion underscored the “highest strategic level of the firm militant friendship” between the two nations.
The arrangement could see Russia reciprocate by transferring advanced weaponry technology potentially applicable to North Korea’s nuclear program, alongside broader economic support. Kim Jong-un’s reference to “the resting places of those who fell” is interpreted as a public admission of casualties suffered by North Korean forces. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy estimates losses and injuries among North Korean soldiers at approximately 4,000, though US figures place the number closer to 1,200. Kim further directed that “significant national measures” be implemented to honor and support the families of veteran warriors.
Analysts suggest that Moscow and Pyongyang likely pre-arranged the public disclosure. “Both nations determined that the advantages of acknowledging the troop deployment outweighed any potential damage to their international standing,” explained Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, to Agence France-Presse. By offering state benefits to the deployed soldiers, North Korea may also “effectively mitigate domestic dissent,” reflecting a growing confidence within Pyongyang. “The objective was likely to portray their contribution as pivotal to the victory, thereby securing greater concessions from Russia,” he added.
