Overview
- Kim Jong Un presided over a Friday ceremony in Pyongyang welcoming the Korean People's Army's 528th Regiment of Engineers after a 120-day overseas deployment that began in early August.
- KCNA said the unit carried out combat and engineering tasks in Russia's Kursk region, with Moscow previously noting North Korean troops were engaged in mine clearance there.
- Kim conferred the Order of Freedom and Independence on the regiment and granted the title Hero of the DPRK to the nine soldiers the state says were killed during the mission.
- The acknowledgment comes after a Workers' Party plenary where Kim lauded defense modernization and preparations advanced for a Ninth Party Congress expected in early 2026.
- South Korean and other assessments report far broader North Korean support to Russia, including large munitions shipments and thousands of troops, while analysts say Moscow is providing financial aid, food, energy, and military technology in return.