North Korea has officially confirmed for the first time that it sent troops to Russia to assist in its war against Ukraine.
In a statement issued by the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers’ Party, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the decision to deploy combat troops was made under a mutual defense treaty with Russia.
The statement, released to state media, cited Kim as saying the mission aimed to “annihilate and wipe out the Ukrainian neo-Nazi occupiers and liberate the Kursk area in cooperation with the Russian armed forces.”
“Those who fought for justice are all heroes and representatives of the honor of the motherland,” Kim declared, according to the statement.
The confirmation follows months of speculation. U.S., South Korean, and Ukrainian intelligence agencies had previously reported that between 10,000 and 12,000 North Korean troops were dispatched to Russia in the fall of 2024. Until now, North Korea had neither confirmed nor denied the deployment.
Earlier this year, South Korea’s military said Pyongyang had sent an additional 3,000 troops to Russia after North Korean units suffered significant casualties on the Russian-Ukrainian frontlines.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff estimated that approximately 4,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed or wounded.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also cited similar casualty figures, saying around 4,000 North Korean troops had been killed or injured. U.S. intelligence estimates, however, placed the number closer to 1,200.
