By Jessie Yeung, Gawon Bae, CNN
Seoul, South Korea (CNN) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has paid an emotional tribute to soldiers killed while fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine, saying his ‘heart aches’ in a rare admission of military losses.
Kim made the comments on Thursday at a ceremony in Pyongyang, where he met with commanders of a unit that had fought for Russia in the western Kursk region, according to North Korean state media KCNA. He praised them as “a heroic army,” with state media photos showing Kim pinning commendation badges on soldiers’ uniforms.
Photos released by KCNA showed Kim pinning badges on the photo frames of deceased soldiers, which lined the wall with each soldier’s name written in gold beneath their image.
“My heart aches and is bitter as I face the reality that I only get to meet the noble figures who gave up their precious lives for great victory and glory through photos on the memorial wall,” he said in a speech, according to KCNA.
“As I stand in front of the bereaved families of the fallen soldiers, I don’t know how to express my regret and apologies for not being able to protect our precious sons, who were entrusted to the nation with trust.”
The ceremony was also tearful, according to the images released by North Korea, with Kim meeting with bereaved family members who were seen sobbing and paying tribute to soldiers’ photos on the wall. In several images, Kim is seen embracing crying children and embracing soldiers.
Authorities then held a banquet to further celebrate the unit that had returned, KCNA reported.
North Korea began sending large numbers of troops and equipment to support Russia’s war against Ukraine last year after high profile meetings between Kim and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, bringing a reclusive and autocratic Asian power into the heart of a European war.
Both Russia and North Korea initially refused to confirm any deployments, but have since publicly acknowledged the involvement of Pyongyang’s forces.
Kim and his regime have been tight-lipped about reports that the North Korean soldiers sent to fight in Kursk have suffered heavy losses – making this week’s ceremony a rare admission of how damaging the impact has been.
Ukrainian and US intelligence suggests there are roughly 12,000 North Korean troops in Russia, the first of whom were sent in the fall of 2024.
New intelligence from Ukrainian officials in July suggested North Korea is set to triple the number of its troops in Russia – sending an additional 25,000 to 30,000 soldiers to assist Moscow in the coming months.
A Western intelligence official confirmed the estimate, saying they had seen information separate to the Ukrainian assessment that indicated the same numbers.
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