Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un today "for the feat of North Korean fighters" who fought for Russia against Ukrainian forces in the Russian Kursk region, which Moscow claims has been fully liberated.
"Korean friends acted, guided by a sense of solidarity, justice and true comradeship. We greatly appreciate this and are sincerely grateful to Comrade Kim Jong Un and the North Korean people," Putin said, as reported by the Kremlin.
Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Army Valery Gerasimov said on Saturday that Russia has fully regained the Kursk region, which Ukrainian forces entered in August 2024.
The general paid special tribute to the heroism of North Korean soldiers who fought for Russia. It was the first time Moscow had acknowledged their participation in the conflict.
North Korea confirmed for the first time that it had sent troops to Russia, the KCNA news agency reported today, saying its soldiers had helped Moscow regain areas of Russia's Kursk region that had been under Ukrainian control for months.
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However, Ukrainian authorities announced on Sunday that its forces were continuing fighting on Russian territory.
Putin today praised "the heroism, high level of special training and dedication of North Korean soldiers who actively participated in the fighting in the Kursk region and defended the Russian homeland as their own."
"The Russian people will never forget the feat of the North Korean special forces fighters," said Putin, who expressed confidence that relations between Moscow and Pyongyang will continue to successfully and dynamically strengthen on all fronts.
Russia and North Korea signed a joint strategic partnership agreement in June 2024 that provides for mutual military assistance in the event of an attack on either of them.
Ukraine, South Korea and Western countries have been condemning the participation of several thousand North Korean soldiers in the fighting for several months, while Moscow and Pyongyang have refused to acknowledge it.
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