Kim Jong Un thanks North Korean soldiers sent to Russia

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un conveyed his thanks and “deep respect” to his country’s troops deployed in Russia during a ceremony held in Pyongyang to mark the 78th anniversary of the founding of North Korea. The message comes amid reports of a possible additional deployment of North Korean troops to support Russia in the war against Ukraine.

According to the state-run KCNA news agency, Kim Jong Un praised the commanders and soldiers involved in “military operations abroad.” In August, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other officials in Kyiv said that Pyongyang and Moscow had allegedly decided to deploy between 30,000 and 50,000 North Korean troops in Russia.

South Korean intelligence services reported preparations for a new deployment, but said it did not appear imminent. Kim Yo Jong, the North Korean leader’s sister, dismissed the Ukrainian reports as false.

Seoul estimates that Pyongyang has sent approximately 15,000 soldiers to Russia since October 2024, as well as more than 6,000 engineers and workers. Approximately 6,000 North Korean troops are believed to have been killed or wounded, while around 8,500 are still in Russia, mainly in the Kursk region. Relations between Moscow and Pyongyang have strengthened following the signing of a mutual defense agreement in 2024.