Kim Jong Un praises North Korean troops after returning from mission to Russia

2025-12-13 10:54:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended a welcome ceremony for a unit of the North Korean army upon his return home from duty in Russia, the state news agency KCNA reported on Saturday.

In a speech broadcast by KCNA, Kim praised officers and soldiers of the 528th Engineer Regiment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) for "heroic" behavior and "great heroism" in fulfilling orders given by the ruling Workers' Party of Korea during a 120-day deployment abroad.

The video released by North Korea shows uniformed soldiers disembarking from a plane, Kim hugging a soldier in a wheelchair, and soldiers and officials gathered to welcome the troops.

KCNA said the unit was deployed in early August and had carried out combat and engineering tasks in the Kursk region of Russia during Moscow's war in Ukraine.

Last month, Russia's Defense Ministry said that North Korean troops, who helped Russia repel a major Ukrainian incursion into the western Kursk region, are now playing a significant role in clearing the area of ??mines.

Under a mutual defense pact between the two countries, North Korea last year sent about 14,000 soldiers to fight alongside Russia at Kursk, and more than 6,000 of them were killed, according to sources from South Korea, Ukraine and the West.

Kim said nine soldiers were killed during the mission, describing their deaths as a "heartbreaking loss," and announced that the regiment would be honored with the Order of Freedom and Independence.

The welcoming ceremony was held on Friday in Pyongyang and was attended by senior military officials, ruling party leaders, family members of the soldiers and large crowds of people, according to KCNA.

In his speech, Kim said the regiment had cleared dangerous areas under combat conditions and demonstrated “absolute loyalty” to the party and state. He also praised the political indoctrination, discipline and unity among the troops, calling their performance an example for the armed forces.

North Korea has openly honored its troops who fought for Russia in the war in Ukraine.

In August, Kim praised them at a meeting with officers involved in operations abroad, while earlier state media showed him covering coffins with the national flag in what appeared to be the repatriation of soldiers killed alongside Russian forces.