That North Korea has sent soldiers to fight for Russia has long been an open secret. On Saturday, it was explicitly stated by Russia's Chief of the General Staff Valerij Gerasimov, and on Sunday evening, it was confirmed through North Korean propaganda media.
The North Korean soldiers performed "heroic missions" to help Russia suppress "a serious violation of Russian sovereignty", it says in a statement released through the tightly controlled news agency KCNA.
"Those who fought for justice are all heroes who honor their homeland", dictator Kim Jong-Un is quoted as saying.
"Will never be forgotten"
From Moscow comes praise from President Vladimir Putin, in a written statement on the Kremlin's website. There, he claims, like the Russian military, that Ukrainian forces have been completely driven out of the border areas in the Russian region of Kursk.
Putin further describes it as North Korea's army actively contributing to defeating an invasion from "Kyiv regime's neo-Nazi forces", in line with Russia's false propaganda line that the neighboring country's government is illegitimate and poses a Nazi-like threat.
"The Korean friends acted out of a sense of solidarity, justice, and genuine camaraderie", according to the Russian president, who describes it as them "defending our homeland as if it were their own".
"The Russian people will never forget the Korean special forces' feat", it further states, but it is unclear whether North Korea will withdraw its soldiers.
In a sensitive situation
According to information from several of Ukraine's allies as well as South Korea, North Korea has sent more than 10,000 soldiers to the war. They were apparently sent to Kursk, where Russia was surprised by a Ukrainian counteroffensive in August last year and had to consider redeploying invasion forces from ongoing battles in Ukraine.
Ukraine has lost almost all the ground its forces have controlled on the Russian side of the border in recent weeks. Russia's military made a victory cry last week, saying they had pushed them back completely, but Ukraine quickly countered that fighting was still ongoing.
