Kim Jong Un sends New Year message to North Korean troops fighting for Russia in Ukraine
Kim Jong Un (photo: Getty Images)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a New Year's greeting to North Korean troops fighting on Russia's side in the war against Ukraine, describing them as the country's greatest strength, pride, and a pillar of strength, Reuters reported.
The agency reports that Kim Jong Un congratulated North Korean soldiers taking part in combat operations against Ukraine on New Year's Day and called them the country's "greatest strength and pride and a strong pillar."
The North Korean leader also said that he is looking forward to their return home.
"Be brave. Behind you are Pyongyang and Moscow," Kim said in his address.
In addition, the outlet reported that the North Korean leader received New Year's greeting cards from several heads of state, including China's leader, Xi Jinping, and his wife. However, Xi Jinping's name was not mentioned directly in the report, and no additional details were disclosed.
North Korean soldiers fighting against Ukraine
According to estimates by South Korean and Western intelligence services, about 10,000 North Korean soldiers may have been sent to Ukraine in 2024 to support Russian forces.
In September, South Korea's intelligence agency stated that about 2,000 North Korean soldiers sent to assist Russia had been killed in combat in Ukraine.
On January 11 this year, it became known that Ukrainian defenders captured two North Korean soldiers in Russia's Kursk region. One of them was captured on January 9.
RBC-Ukraine previously wrote about how the first North Korean soldiers were captured in the Kursk region.
More details on how Ukrainian soldiers managed to do this and what the Koreans themselves say about the war can be found in the report.
