North Korea confirms troop deployment to Kursk region

North Korea has confirmed for the first time that it had sent troops to fight for Russia in the war in Ukraine under orders from leader Kim Jong-un and that it had helped regain control of Russian territory occupied by Ukraine.

The end of the battle to liberate Russia's Kursk region showed the "highest strategic level of the firm militant friendship" between North Korea and Russia, KCNA state news agency cited the North's ruling party as saying.

Russia said last week that Ukrainian forces had been expelled from the last Russian village they had been holding, although Ukraine denied the claim and said their troops were still operating in some parts of Russian territory.

President Vladimir Putin this morning thanked the North Korean leader for the "feat" of Pyongyang's troops in helping wrest back the area held by Ukraine in Russia's Kursk region.

"The Korean friends acted, guided by the sentiments of solidarity, justice and real camaraderie," the Kremlin cited Mr Putin as saying.

"We appreciate it a lot and are deeply grateful to comrade Kim Jong-un personally... and the North Korean people".

North Korea's Central Military Commission of the North's Workers' Party said Mr Kim made the decision to deploy troops under the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty he signed with Russian President Vladimir Putin last year.

Under his orders, North Korean military units fought with the same heroism and bravery they would have shown if they were fighting for their own country, KCNA cited the Commission assaying.

"They who fought for justice are all heroes and representatives of the honour of the motherland," KCNA quoted Mr Kim as saying.

North Korea "regards it as an honour to have an alliance with such a powerful state as the Russian Federation," KCNA said.

The US State Department demanded North Korea's deployment to Russia and any support by Russia in return must end, adding Russia had violated UN Security Council resolutions by training North Korean soldiers.

Countries such as North Korea, whose support has "perpetuated the Russia-Ukraine war, bear responsibility," a US State Department spokesperson said.

South Korea said that the confirmation of the troop deployment was an "admission of criminal act," and condemned the North for the "inhumane and immoral" decision to send its young people to battle.

The timing of the confirmation, after more than six months of silence, and highlighting the sacrifice of North Korean troops "at the cost of blood" was meant to amplify Mr Kim's partnership with Mr Putin as equals, an analyst said.

"It now became necessary to put on a diplomatic performance for the North Korean and Russian leaders to pledge stronger ties," Hong Min of the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul said, calling the confirmation "a build-up" to a summit meeting in Russia.

North Korea sent an estimated total of 14,000 troops, including 3,000 reinforcements to replace its losses, Ukrainian officials have said. Lacking armoured vehicles and drone warfare experience, they took heavy casualties but adapted quickly.

Ukraine's Special Operations Forces said on 24 April that they had killed a unit of 25 North Korean soldiers in Kursk. They released a video showing one of the soldiers and their possessions, which included a note written in Korean.

North Korea has also supplied weapons including artillery munitions and ballistic missiles, South Korean officials have said.

Russia confirmed on Saturday for the first time that North Korean soldiers have been fighting alongside Russians in Kursk

Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimovy hailed the "heroism" of the North Korean soldiers, who he said "provided significant assistance in defeating the group of Ukrainian armed forces".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, however, said yesterday that Ukraine's army was still fighting in Russia's Kursk despite Moscow claiming the "liberation" of its western region.