‘You defended our Motherland Your Own’ – Putin Thanks North Korean Troops
President Vladimir Putin of Russia on Monday praised North Korean troops for their role in Moscow’s war against Ukraine, saying their sacrifices “will never be forgotten.”
The rare acknowledgment followed North Korea’s first official confirmation that it had deployed troops to support Russian forces.
Putin, in a statement, commended the North Korean fighters who “defended our Motherland as their own,” describing them as standing “shoulder to shoulder with Russian fighters.”
The announcement comes after Russia claimed it had fully reclaimed the Kursk region, a claim Ukrainian officials dispute, insisting fighting continues in parts of the border area.
Earlier Monday, North Korea’s Central Military Commission said leader Kim Jong Un had dispatched forces to help “annihilate and wipe out the Ukrainian neo-Nazi occupiers” and “liberate” Kursk, adding that North Korean troops made “an important contribution” to the effort.
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While the exact number of deployed soldiers was not disclosed, U.S., South Korean, and Ukrainian intelligence agencies estimate that North Korea sent between 10,000 and 12,000 troops to Russia around September last year. South Korea’s military recently assessed that about 4,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded, with another 3,000 deployed earlier this year.
The troop deployment follows a mutual defense treaty signed by Putin and Kim in June 2024, committing both nations to provide immediate military support if attacked. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated Monday that Russia could offer military assistance to North Korea if necessary.
