Overview
- KCNA published Kim Jong-un’s greeting to Vladimir Putin, calling DPRK–Russia ties a “precious common asset” and praising a year of “sharing blood, life and death.”
- Putin earlier sent a congratulatory letter lauding the “heroic” role of Korean People’s Army troops in battles around Russia’s Kursk region, according to KCNA.
- Pyongyang has officially confirmed it deployed forces to aid Russia and acknowledged combat fatalities, including at least nine engineers killed during a 120-day mine-clearing mission in the Kursk region in August 2025.
- Intelligence assessments and media reports say North Korea has sent thousands of troops, with one Yonhap report citing around 15,000, while a South Korean lawmaker has reported higher, unverified casualty figures.
- Analysts report Pyongyang has shipped artillery, missiles and rocket systems to Russia as Kim orders expanded missile and munitions production, while Moscow provides financial aid, military technology, and food and energy supplies.