Kim Jong Un Honors Fallen North Korean Soldiers Who Fought Alongside Russia in Ukraine

On Friday, state media from North Korea published pictures of leader Kim Jong Un kneeling in front of portraits commemorating soldiers who lost their lives fighting for Russia in Ukraine. The images also captured him embracing a visibly moved veteran of the conflict.

The event took place at the headquarters of the ruling Workers’ Party in Pyongyang, where Kim awarded medals, offered flowers, and comforted soldiers returning from combat, celebrating them as «heroes» who had «sacrificed their youth and lives.»

South Korean and Western intelligence sources report that North Korea sent over 10,000 troops to Russia in 2024, along with shipments of artillery shells, missiles, and long-range rocket systems. Seoul has noted that around 600 North Korean soldiers were killed and thousands more sustained injuries.

Kim expressed gratitude to the soldiers who «returned home with immense honor» after facing «a barrage of bullets and bombs in a foreign life-and-death struggle,» according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The footage depicted Kim placing medals and flowers before the portraits of the deceased and embracing a soldier who had buried his face in Kim’s chest.

The KCNA also stated that Kim bestowed the title of «DPRK Hero» upon commanding officers who demonstrated «remarkable achievements» during international missions. He further met with families of the deceased and paid homage at a memorial wall with flowers.

North Korea only acknowledged its troop deployment to Russia in April and confirmed that some soldiers had been killed in action. Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin referred to North Korean troops as «heroic» in a letter to Kim, as reported by KCNA.

In the meantime, Washington has accused Moscow of providing Pyongyang with advanced space and satellite technology in exchange for its assistance.