North Korea on Monday officially confirmed its troop deployment in Ukraine under the orders of Kim Jong Un, supporting Russia in the Kursk region. This strategic partnership has strengthened ties between the two isolated countries.
The successful conclusion of the battle to liberate Kursk demonstrated the “highest strategic level of steadfast militant friendship” between North Korea and Russia, according to North Korea’s ruling party, as reported by the state news agency KCNA.
Over the weekend, Russia officially acknowledged North Korea’s involvement for the first time, claiming Ukrainian forces had been driven out of the last village under their control within Russian territory. However, Kyiv rejected this assertion, maintaining that its troops were still active in parts of Russian territory.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday personally thanked North Korea and its leader, Kim Jong Un. “We will always honour the Korean heroes who gave their lives for Russia, for our common freedom, on an equal basis with their Russian brothers in arms,” Putin said in a statement released by the Kremlin.
The Central Military Commission of North Korea’s Workers’ Party stated that Kim decided to station soldiers under the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty with Putin last year.
North Korean military units under Kim’s orders battled with the same bravery and heroism they would have shown if they were fighting for their motherland. “They who fought for justice are all heroes and representatives of the honour of the motherland,” KCNA quoted Kim as saying.
US State Department Condemns Russia For Violating UN Resolutions
The US State Department demanded an end to any support from North Korea and vice versa, adding that Russia had violated the resolutions of the UN Security Council by training North Korean soldiers.
A State Department spokesperson told Reuters that countries such as North Korea, whose support has continued the Russia-Ukraine war, bear responsibility.
South Korea said that Monday’s confirmation of the troop deployment amounted to an “admission of a criminal act” and denounced North Korea for its “inhumane and immoral” move to send young citizens into battle to sustain its regime.
Hong Min of the Korea Institute for National Unification said the timing of the announcement, after over six months of silence, and the emphasis on North Korean troops’ “sacrifice at the cost of blood” were intended to highlight Kim Jong Un’s alliance with Vladimir Putin as a relationship between equals.
He added that a diplomatic show of solidarity between the North Korean and Russian leaders had become necessary, describing the confirmation as “preparation” for an upcoming summit in Russia.
The announcement clearly signals to Ukraine and its Western allies that Russia and North Korea share a military alliance, which could potentially justify their forces being deployed to other regions, including Ukraine, according to Artyom Lukin from Russia’s Far Eastern Federal University.
“Having the option of deploying them to Ukraine strengthens Moscow’s positions in the Washington-mediated ceasefire negotiations that are entering a crucial stage right now,” he said.
Ukrainian officials have reported that North Korea sent approximately 14,000 troops, including 3,000 reinforcements to replace their losses. Despite lacking armoured vehicles and experience in drone warfare, the troops suffered heavy casualties but managed to adapt rapidly.
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