In a first, Russia confirms North Korea's involvement in Ukraine war



News In a first, Russia confirms North Korea’s involvement in Ukraine war Moscow praises DPRK troops’ ‘fortitude and heroism’ while claiming ‘liberation’ of region from Ukrainian forces Anton Sokolin \| Shreyas Reddy April 26, 2025 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON North Korean soldiers practice invasion scenarios during a training drill \| Image: KCNA (April 5, 2025) Russia’s military chief, in an official shift, confirmed the use of North Korean soldiers in its war against Ukraine, during a briefing to Russian President Vladimir Putin Saturday focused on the country’s claimed liberation of Kursk. “The DPRK fighters demonstrated high professionalism in liberating the Kursk region from the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” Valery Gerasimov, the general staff chief of the Russian armed forces, said in a video call with President Vladimir Putin posted by the Kremlin. Hailing joint efforts by Russian and North Korean soldiers to “defeat” the Ukrainian forces, Gerasimov said Kyiv has now lost more than 76,000 soldiers © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by Trending

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In a first, Russia confirms North Korea’s involvement in Ukraine war

Moscow praises DPRK troops’ ‘fortitude and heroism’ while claiming ‘liberation’ of region from Ukrainian forces

Anton Sokolin | Shreyas Reddy April 26, 2025

In a first, Russia confirms North Korea’s involvement in Ukraine war

North Korean soldiers practice invasion scenarios during a training drill | Image: KCNA (April 5, 2025)

Russia’s military chief, in an official shift, confirmed the use of North Korean soldiers in its war against Ukraine, during a briefing to Russian President Vladimir Putin Saturday focused on the country’s claimed liberation of Kursk.

“The DPRK fighters demonstrated high professionalism in liberating the Kursk region from the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” Valery Gerasimov, the general staff chief of the Russian armed forces, said in a video call with President Vladimir Putin posted by the Kremlin.

Hailing joint efforts by Russian and North Korean soldiers to “defeat” the Ukrainian forces, Gerasimov said Kyiv has now lost more than 76,000 soldiers

About the Authors

Anton Sokolin

Anton Sokolin is the data correspondent at NK News. He previously worked at Reuters, TASS and the Korea Trade Promotion Corporation (KOTRA).

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Shreyas Reddy

Shreyas Reddy is the Lead Correspondent at NK News, based in Seoul. He previously worked as a researcher at BBC Monitoring, where his work focused on news and key people and organizations from the Korean Peninsula, Japan, Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Follow him on Twitter.

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