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On Friday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un seemed to admit for the first time that the soldiers he sent to support Russian President Vladimir Putin in the conflict in Ukraine have faced significant casualties.
During a ceremony showcasing the images of 100 North Korean soldiers, which was also attended by their family members, Kim paid tribute to these “heroic” soldiers. In a heartfelt scene, he embraced children and appeared tearful.
Kim initially acknowledged in April that he dispatched thousands of troops to assist Putin in Russia’s Kursk region, later admitting to the presence of casualties in July while mourning beside coffins wrapped in North Korean flags.
Kim Jong Un was seen comforting the children of fallen soldiers, embracing them during an event in North Korea on August 22, 2025, commemorating those deployed to support Vladimir Putin in the Kursk region, which borders Ukraine.
The Ukrainian General Staff announced on Thursday that Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, along with other unnamed Ukrainian forces, launched long-range drone attacks on the Novoshakhtinsky Oil Refinery. This refinery supplies Russian forces in Ukraine and ranks among southern Russia’s major oil product producers, processing about 7.5 million tons of oil annually, as reported by the Institute for the Study of War.
Initially, up to 12,000 North Korean troops were deployed to Kursk in the fall of 2024, followed by another deployment of 3,000 troops in early 2025 to counteract Ukraine’s operations. The current number of North Korean troops still in the southwest Russian region remains unclear.
Reports earlier this year suggested that North Korea may look to send additional troops to aid Moscow by the end of the summer, though it is unclear if any additional foreign soldiers have been deployed to Russia.
North Korean tyrant Kim Jong Un hugs surviving soldiers sent to fight for Vladimir Putin in Kursk region bordering Ukraine, in ceremony in North Korea on Aug. 22, 2025. (East2West)
On Friday, Kim suggested that North Korea’s involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine could be coming to a close and hailed the “victorious conclusion of overseas military operations.”
Though it is also unclear if this means troops already deployed to Russia could also be returned home soon.
