North Korea confirms troop deployment to Russia as Putin hails 'heroes'

North Korea Confirms Troop Deployment to Support Russia in Ukraine War

For the first time, North Korea confirmed on Monday that it has deployed troops to fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. Acting on orders from leader Kim Jong Un, North Korean forces reportedly helped Russia reclaim territory previously held by Ukrainian forces.

The unprecedented move involved thousands of North Korean soldiers and large shipments of artillery shells and missiles, according to North Korean state media. This support gave Russia a significant battlefield advantage in the western Kursk region and further deepened ties between the two isolated nations.

North Korea's ruling party hailed the successful recapture of Kursk as a demonstration of the “highest strategic level of militant friendship” between Pyongyang and Moscow, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Russia acknowledged the North Korean involvement over the weekend, claiming Ukrainian troops had been expelled from the final village they controlled in the area. Kyiv has denied this claim, asserting that its forces remain active in parts of Russian territory.

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly thanked Kim Jong Un and the North Korean military.

“We will always honour the Korean heroes who gave their lives for Russia and our shared freedom, as equals with their Russian comrades,” Putin said in a statement released by the Kremlin.

North Korea’s Central Military Commission stated that Kim’s decision to send troops was made under the framework of a strategic partnership treaty signed with Putin last year. KCNA reported that North Korean soldiers fought with the same commitment and valor as if defending their own homeland.

“Those who fought for justice are heroes and symbols of our nation's honour,” Kim was quoted as saying. North Korea, the agency added, views its alliance with Russia as a great privilege.

The United States condemned the deployment and called for an end to the military cooperation, emphasizing that Russia’s training of North Korean soldiers violates United Nations Security Council resolutions. A U.S. State Department spokesperson said countries like North Korea that support Russia’s war effort must be held accountable.

South Korea also denounced the troop deployment, calling it an "admission of a criminal act." The South Korean government described the decision to send young North Koreans to fight in Ukraine as "inhumane and immoral," aimed solely at sustaining the North Korean regime.

A Strategic Display of Alliance

Analysts say the timing of North Korea’s confirmation—after months of silence—was a calculated move to highlight the bloodshed and elevate Kim’s relationship with Putin ahead of a likely summit.

Hong Min of the Korea Institute for National Unification said the announcement served as "a diplomatic performance" to showcase the growing military and political bond between the two leaders.

Artyom Lukin, a professor at Russia’s Far Eastern Federal University, noted that the confirmation signals to Ukraine and its Western allies that Moscow and Pyongyang now consider their military alliance formal and active. This could be used to justify further North Korean deployments, possibly even deeper into Ukrainian territory.

“Having the option to deploy North Korean troops to Ukraine enhances Russia's leverage in U.S.-mediated ceasefire negotiations currently at a critical stage,” Lukin said.

Ukrainian officials estimate that North Korea has sent around 14,000 troops, including 3,000 reinforcements to replace casualties. Despite initial setbacks due to lack of modern combat experience and equipment, North Korean troops reportedly adapted to battlefield conditions.

On April 24, Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces reported killing 25 North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region, releasing footage that included personal effects and a note written in Korean.

South Korean officials have also confirmed that North Korea has supplied Russia with artillery shells and ballistic missiles.

According to Lukin, Pyongyang sees the cooperation not just as strategic, but also as a boost to its national security.

“After Kursk, North Korea’s security no longer relies solely on its nuclear arsenal,” he said. “It now also rests on its military alliance with a major power—Russia.”