North Korean leader Kim Jong-un publicly paid tribute to soldiers killed in the conflict in Ukraine, in a rare acknowledgement of the losses suffered by the North Korean armed forces.

Kim Jong-un's gesture came during a repatriation ceremony for North Korean soldiers killed in the conflict in Ukraine. Photographs showing the North Korean leader in front of flag-draped coffins were shown at a gala event held to mark the one-year anniversary of the signing of a military treaty between North Korea and Russia.