Politics North Korea welcomes soldiers returning from Russia
North Korea's ruler Kim Jong Un has welcomed soldiers deployed in the Ukraine war back from Russia with a grand welcome ceremony. In a speech published by the state news agency KCNA, Kim praised the "heroic" behavior of the pioneer unit during their 120-day mission abroad. The ceremony took place in the North Korean capital Pyongyang on Friday.
13.12.2025, 07:39
SDA
According to KCNA, the returned military unit was sent to Russia at the beginning of August and supported the Russian army in the Kursk region in the fight against the troops of Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia.
Photos published by the news agency show Head of State Kim kneeling down and laying a white flower in front of a memorial wall with pictures of fallen soldiers. During the ceremony, Kim admitted that nine soldiers from the sapper unit had died in the war. The information cannot be independently verified.
Unprecedented military cooperation with Russia
North Korea's unprecedented military cooperation with Russia became known last year. According to estimates by the South Korean secret service, around 15,000 soldiers were deployed in several waves of mobilization to support Russia in the Ukraine war. North Korea also supplied the Russian army with large quantities of ammunition and artillery.
It is suspected that the internationally largely isolated country is receiving money, military technology and security guarantees from Russia in return. In addition, diplomatic circles point out that North Korea's army is gaining practical combat experience - especially in modern drone warfare - through its deployment in the Ukraine war and wants to test its own weapons systems in practice. It is unclear to what extent North Korean troops are still actively fighting in the Ukraine war.
