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North Korea confirms for first time it has sent troops to fight for Russia in Ukraine war North Korea confirms for first time it has sent troops to fight for Russia in Ukraine war
(about 1 hour later)
Battle in Kursk showed ‘highest strategic level of the firm militant friendship’ between North Korea and Russia, state news says, hailing ‘heroes’Battle in Kursk showed ‘highest strategic level of the firm militant friendship’ between North Korea and Russia, state news says, hailing ‘heroes’
North Korea has confirmed for the first time that it has sent troops to fight for Russia in the war with Ukraine under the orders of leader Kim Jong-un. North Korea has confirmed for the first time that it has sent troops to fight for Russia in the war with Ukraine under the orders of the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, who described the soldiers as “heroes”.
The end of the battle in Russia’s Kursk region showed the “highest strategic level of the firm militant friendship” between North Korea and Russia, the North’s KCNA state news agency cited the ruling party as saying. The acknowledgment comes amid claims by the Kremlin – contested by Ukraine – that North Korean forces helped recapture Russia’s Kursk region.
Russia claimed last week that Ukrainian forces had been expelled from the last Russian village they had been holding, although Kyiv denied the claim and said their troops were still operating in Belgorod, another Russian region bordering Ukraine. After months of silence over the deployment, which has been widely reported in the western media, Russia also confirmed the presence of North Korean soldiers.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that Ukraine’s army was still fighting in Russia’s Kursk despite Moscow claiming the “liberation” of its western region. “Our military continues to perform tasks in the Kursk and Belgorod regions – we are maintaining our presence on Russian territory,” he said in his evening address. In a statement earlier on Sunday, he conceded that the situation remained difficult in many areas including Kursk. In a statement released on Monday, the North’s KCNA state news agency quoted the ruling party as saying that the end of the battle in Russia’s Kursk region showed the “highest strategic level of the firm militant friendship” between North Korea and Russia.
The Central Military Commission of the North’s ruling Workers’ party said Kim made the decision to deploy North Korean troops under the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty he signed with Putin in 2024. Russia claimed last week that Ukrainian forces had been expelled from the last Russian village they had been holding. Kyiv has denied the claim, however, and said Ukrainian troops were also still operating in Belgorod, another Russian region bordering Ukraine.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said on Sunday that Ukraine’s army was still fighting in Russia’s Kursk despite Moscow claiming the “liberation” of its western region.
“Our military continues to perform tasks in the Kursk and Belgorod regions – we are maintaining our presence on Russian territory,” he said in his evening address. In a statement earlier on Sunday, he conceded that the situation remained difficult in many areas, including Kursk.
The central military commission of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ party said Kim made the decision to deploy troops under the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty he signed with Putin in June 2024.
“Under the order of the head of state, the sub-units of the armed forces of the Republic regarded the territory of Russia as the one of their country and proved the firm alliance between the two countries,” KCNA cited the commission as saying.“Under the order of the head of state, the sub-units of the armed forces of the Republic regarded the territory of Russia as the one of their country and proved the firm alliance between the two countries,” KCNA cited the commission as saying.
“They who fought for justice are all heroes and representatives of the honour of the motherland,” KCNA quoted Kim as saying. North Korea “regards it as an honour to have an alliance with such a powerful state as the Russian Federation,” KCNA added.
North Korea “regards it as an honour to have an alliance with such a powerful state as the Russian Federation,” KCNA said. The agency quoted Kim as saying: “They who fought for justice are all heroes and representatives of the honour of the motherland.”
North Korea sent an estimated total of 14,000 troops, including 3,000 reinforcements to replace its losses, Ukrainian officials have said. Lacking armoured vehicles and drone warfare experience, they took heavy casualties but adapted quickly. North Korea sent an estimated total of 14,000 troops, including 3,000 reinforcements, to replace those killed, injured or captured, Ukrainian officials have said. With no armoured vehicles or drone warfare experience, they took heavy casualties but adapted quickly, the officials added.
Russia confirmed on Saturday for the first time that North Korean soldiers have been fighting alongside Russians in Kursk. Neither Russia nor North Korea had previously either confirmed or denied the deployment. Russia confirmed on Saturday for the first time that North Korean soldiers had been fighting alongside Russians in Kursk. Neither Russia nor North Korea had previously either confirmed or denied the deployment.
The US State Department said it was concerned by North Korea’s direct involvement in Russia’s war in Ukraine and that Pyongyang’s military deployment for Russia must end. The US state department said it was concerned by North Korea’s direct involvement in Russia’s war in Ukraine and that Pyongyang’s military deployment must end.
“We continue to be concerned by (North Korea’s) direct involvement in the war. (North Korea’s) military deployment to Russia and any support provided by the Russian Federation to (North Korea) in return must end,” a State Department spokesperson said in an email, adding third countries like North Korea “bear responsibility” for the war. “We continue to be concerned by [North Korea’s] direct involvement in the war. [North Korea’s] military deployment to Russia and any support provided by the Russian Federation to [North Korea] in return must end,” a state department spokesperson said in an email, adding that third countries such as North Korea “bear responsibility” for the war.
With Reuters Kim, whose material support for Putin could earn the North access to Russian satellite and military technology to boost its nuclear missile programme, said a monument would soon be built in the capital Pyongyang to honour his soldiers’ “battle feats”.
The North has also provided Russia with vast quantities of ammunition, artillery shells, ballistic missiles and other weapons. South Korea, the US and their partners worry that Russia could reward North Korea by transferring hi-tech weapons technologies for use in its nuclear weapons programme. North Korea is also expected to receive economic and other assistance from Russia.
Kim’s reference to “the tombstones of the fallen soldiers” is seen as public confirmation by the regime that North Korean troops had been killed in combat.
Zelenskyy has put the number of killed or wounded North Koreans at 4,000, though US estimates are lower, at about 1,200.
The country must “take important national measures to specially honour and care for the families of war veterans,” Kim said.
Experts said Moscow and Pyongyang are likely to have agreed in advance to publicly disclose the deployment.
“The two countries agreed to disclose the deployment because they judged that the benefits of compensation for the troop deployment outweighed the potential damage to their international image,” Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, told Agence France-Presse.
By promising state benefits to the deployed troops, North Korea could also “sufficiently ease internal backlash,” Yang said, adding that the move reflected Pyongyang’s growing confidence.
“North Korea likely aimed to showcase that victory was achieved thanks to their involvement, thereby securing greater rewards from Russia,” he added.