Russian President Vladimir Putin has lauded North Korean soldiers deployed to Ukraine, calling them “heroic” in a message to Kim Jong Un, North Korean state media reported Friday.
In the letter, marking the anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule, Putin recalled the joint efforts of Soviet Red Army units and North Korean forces in ending Japan’s occupation.
“The bonds of militant friendship, goodwill, and mutual aid which were consolidated in the days of the war long ago remain solid and reliable even today,” Putin wrote, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). He cited the “heroic participation” of North Korean troops in liberating Russia’s Kursk Region from Ukrainian forces, adding that their “bravery and self-sacrifice” will be remembered forever by the Russian people.
Putin also stressed that Russia and North Korea would continue to “act jointly and effectively” to defend their sovereignty and contribute to establishing a “just and multipolar world order.”
KCNA also published Kim Jong Un’s reply, in which the North Korean leader described the countries’ ties as “the stablest comradeship and a comprehensive strategic companionship.”
The exchange comes amid deepening Russia–North Korea relations, which included the signing of a mutual defence pact during Putin’s visit to Pyongyang last year. North Korea confirmed in April that it had sent troops to Ukraine alongside Russian forces, with South Korean and Western intelligence estimating over 10,000 soldiers were deployed to the Kursk region in 2024, along with weapons and ammunition.
Seoul says about 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed and thousands wounded in the conflict. Putin’s letter coincided with a visit by a Russian delegation to Pyongyang, during which Russian Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin thanked Kim for sending “excellent soldiers” to Ukraine as part of the 80th anniversary celebrations of Korea’s liberation.
