Kim Jong Un awards North Korean troops fighting against Ukraine in Russia's Kursk region

Yonhap reported the information.

A ceremony was held in North Korea to award soldiers who participated in Russia’s war against Ukraine. Commanders and fighters of the Korean People’s Army’s overseas operational unit received state honors. It is noted that this is the first time North Korea has awarded its soldiers who fought abroad.

During the ceremony, Kim Jong Un gave a speech in which he called the soldiers “great heroes and patriots.” He said their courage proved that the army of any country cannot escape the fate of becoming “dead souls” if it fights against North Korean forces.

“The victory won by the brave soldiers who participated in the war is a great feat that firmly defended the great honour of the KPA, which should never be undermined, and provided a sure guarantee for the existence and development of our state,” the North Korean leader said.

Kim Jong Un awarded the title “Hero of North Korea” to commanders and servicemen for their “outstanding” feats on the battlefield. He also placed medals next to 101 portraits of the fallen on a memorial wall. It is not specified whether all of them died in combat.

• Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov did not rule out further participation of the DPRK army in the war against Ukraine, stating that North Korea itself decides how to implement its "strategic partnership" with Russia.