Kim Jong Un Breaks Silence on North Korean Troops Fighting for Russia
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Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said for the first time that the country has deployed troops to Russia's Kursk region, calling them "heroes" and describing their role in the operation to push Ukrainians out of the Russian region a "sacred mission."
In what appears to be the first official confirmation of North Koreans' involvement in the Ukraine war, Kim was also reported to have said that a monument would be erected in honor of the troops in Pyongyang.
"They who fought for justice are all heroes and representatives of the honour of the motherland," KCNA quoted Kim as saying, according to Reuters.
North Korea "regards it as an honour to have an alliance with such a powerful state as the Russian Federation," the agency reportedly said.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated shortly.
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