Overview
- Putin praised the “heroic” participation of North Korean soldiers in Russia’s war on Ukraine and called the ties an “invincible friendship” and “militant fraternity,” according to KCNA.
- The message referenced North Korean troops entering battles in Russia’s Kursk region and noted follow-on work by North Korean engineers inside Russia.
- Putin cited progress under the Moscow–Pyongyang comprehensive strategic partnership signed during his June visit, which includes a mutual-defense pledge.
- South Korean and Western intelligence estimate North Korea sent more than 10,000 personnel and significant munitions in 2024, with Seoul’s spy agency assessing about 2,000 North Korean combat deaths.
- North Korean state media has highlighted Kim Jong-un’s meetings with bereaved families and publicized emotive images of returning soldiers, while Seoul’s talk of revisiting arms supplies to Kyiv has not led to a policy shift.