North Korea’s Kim Jong Un hails troops killed in ‘heroic’ war with Ukraine

North Korean person hints astatine much subject practice with Moscow ‘in the future’ arsenic helium awards medals to soldiers.

North Korean person Kim Jong Un has awarded medals to his returning and fallen troops, who fought for Russia successful the warfare against Ukraine, arsenic helium held an affectional gathering with the families of soldiers killed connected the battlefield, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

“The combat activities of overseas operational forces … proved without regret the powerfulness of the heroic [North Korean] army,” and that the “liberation of Kursk” proved the “fighting tone of the heroes”, KCNA reported connected Friday, quoting Kim.

“Our service is present doing what it ought to bash and what needs to beryllium done. It volition bash truthful successful the future, too,” Kim said, according to KCNA.

He besides laid a angiosperm astatine a memorial partition for North Korean soldiers killed overseas, and a performance was held for soldiers who returned from serving successful Russia, arsenic good arsenic a banquet that included bereaved household members of slain troops, KCNA said.

Photos published by the quality bureau showed the North Korean person hugging visibly affectional household members of fallen soldiers.

South Korean and Western quality agencies person said Pyongyang sent much than 10,000 soldiers to Russia’s Kursk portion successful 2024, on with artillery shells, missiles and long-range rocket systems to beryllium utilized by Russia against Ukraine.

This undated representation released by North Korea’s authoritative KCNA connected Friday shows North Korean person Kim Jong Un gathering with bereaved families during a ceremonial to grant authorities commendations to troops who fought successful Russia’s warfare against Ukraine [KCNA via KNS/AFP]

About 600 of those North Korean soldiers were killed and thousands were wounded warring for Russia, according to Seoul’s quality estimates.

Kim’s remarks travel arsenic United States President Donald Trump ramps up so-far fruitless attempts to extremity the Russia-Ukraine war, having held high-profile talks with the leaders of some countries successful caller days.

But Russian President Vladimir Putin, who past week hailed the North Korean troops arsenic “heroic”, has up to present avoided gathering his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy for bid talks, and Russian attacks connected Ukraine person escalated arsenic Moscow’s troops marque beardown gains connected the beforehand lines of the war.

Russia and North Korea person been forging progressively adjacent ties, including signing a communal defence pact past twelvemonth erstwhile Putin visited the reclusive state.

Kim Jong Un, left, embraces a North Korean serviceman who fought with Russia successful its warfare against Ukraine, astatine the office of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea successful Pyongyang [KCNA via KNS/AFP]

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies