Latest news with #OlgaLyubimova
South China Morning Post
04-07-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
North Korea, China and Russia's ‘blood-forged' ties: real or rhetoric?
China and North Korea often hail their friendships with each other and with Russia as being 'forged in blood'. But while these statements help generate fraternal sentiments, such ties often fall prey to domestic politics, geopolitics and evolving national interests. This week, North Korea's state media showed its leader Kim Jong-un draping coffins with the national flag in what appeared to be the repatriation of soldiers killed fighting in Russia's war against Ukraine In a series of photographs, Kim, who appeared to be overcome with emotion, was seen by rows of half a dozen coffins in Pyongyang, covering them with flags. The scene took place on Sunday amid the visit by a delegation led by Russia's Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova to mark the first anniversary of the strategic partnership between Pyongyang and Moscow. Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova (left) shakes hands with Kim during their meeting at the headquarters of the Party Central Committee in Pyongyang on Sunday. Photo: KCNA/EPA-EFE Soldiers from the two countries were seen waving their national flags, a gesture described by the Korean Central News Agency as affirming the 'ties of friendship and the genuine internationalist obligation between the peoples and armies of the two countries that were forged at the cost of blood'.
Novaya Gazeta Europe
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Novaya Gazeta Europe
North Korea plans to send up to 30,000 more troops to fight for Russia in Ukraine, Kyiv says — Novaya Gazeta Europe
North Korean artists perform during a concert while a video shows soldiers holding Russian and North Korean flags, during a visit of Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova to Pyongyang on 29 June 2025. Photo: EPA/KCNA North Korea is set to triple its troop presence alongside the Russian military by sending a further 25,000 to 30,000 soldiers to the front line of the war with Ukraine, CNN reported on Wednesday, citing Ukrainian officials. According to the Ukrainian intelligence assessment seen by CNN, the new troops could arrive in Russia 'in the coming months' before being deployed to Russian-occupied areas of eastern Ukraine to 'strengthen the Russian contingent, including during the large-scale offensive operations'. The assessment noted signs that Russia was preparing to move large numbers of troops from North Korea, including refitting military aircraft to carry personnel, CNN said. Satellite imagery also showed the arrival of a ship previously used to transfer North Korean soldiers at a Russian port and cargo aircraft at Pyongyang Airport, the network added. An unnamed Western official who had seen 'information separate to the Ukrainian assessment' confirmed Kyiv's estimate of 30,000 troops being sent to Russia, CNN said. CNN's report follows a similar assessment last week by South Korea's National Intelligence Service, with officials in Seoul stating that Pyongyang had begun recruiting additional troops to send to Russia and could deploy them as early as July or August. Last year, Russia and North Korea signed a comprehensive partnership agreement that reportedly contained a secret clause allowing Pyongyang to send military personnel to the war in Ukraine. Since then, South Korean and Western intelligence agencies have repeatedly documented the involvement of over 10,000 North Korean troops in battle against Ukrainian soldiers, with some 600 estimated to have been killed. On Tuesday, North Korean state media released images of dictator Kim Jong Un publicly mourning soldiers killed fighting for Russia during a gala concert in Pyongyang to mark the first anniversary of the partnership agreement between the two countries. Moscow and Pyongyang in April confirmed for the first time that North Korean troops had fought 'shoulder to shoulder' alongside Russian servicemen as they recaptured the country's southwestern Kursk region from Ukrainian forces. Then, Kim announced that a monument to the North Korean soldiers who fought in Kursk would be erected in Pyongyang to honour their 'heroism and bravery', with Russian Ambassador to Pyongyang Alexander Matsegora later saying that Russia would name streets and build 'beautiful monuments to the Korean heroes' in Kursk as a sign of its gratitude.
News24
01-07-2025
- Politics
- News24
Emotional North Korea leader Kim Jong Un mourns fallen troops who fought for Russia
North Korea leader Kim Jong Un was seen with the flag-draped coffins of soldiers. Around 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed fighting for Russia. Kim appeared emotional mourning the fallen soldiers. State media images showed leader Kim Jong Un honouring the flag-draped coffins of North Korean soldiers killed helping Russia fight Ukraine, as Seoul's defence ministry said on Tuesday it saw no signs of further troop deployments yet. The nuclear-armed North has become one of Russia's main allies during its more than three-year-long Ukraine offensive, sending thousands of troops and container loads of weapons to help the Kremlin oust Ukrainian forces from Kursk. Around 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed and thousands more wounded fighting for Russia, according to South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun, citing information from Seoul's spy agency. The images of a visibly emotional Kim mourning the fallen soldiers were broadcast by the official Korean Central Television, released as part of an event in Pyongyang on Sunday attended by Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova. It marked the one-year anniversary of a military pact signed by the two countries, which includes a mutual defence clause. READ | Kim Jong Un slams failed North Korea warship launch as 'criminal act' Kim was shown placing a North Korean flag over a coffin during a ceremony for the return of the remains of North Korean soldiers who were deployed and killed in Moscow's war against Kyiv. The footage also showed images of North Korean soldiers in the battlefield, accompanied by captions that said: 'Oh, our heroes, shining stars of my homeland' and 'those who gave their lives without hesitation to defend honour shine like radiant stars'. North Korean and Russian attendees were shown bursting into tears as they watched the tribute. A photograph of a document, purportedly penned by Kim, was also featured, with a caption saying he had 'approved operational plans for the liberation of Kursk and issued attack orders to special operations units' in the final months of 2024. The North Korean leader attended the performance with his teenage daughter Ju Ae - widely seen by many analysts as his likely successor. North Korea only confirmed it had deployed troops to support Russia's war in Ukraine in April, and admitted that its soldiers had been killed in combat. South Korean lawmaker Lee said last week that the North will send more troops to Russia to assist in its war against Ukraine, possibly as early as this month, citing Seoul's spy agency. But Seoul's defence ministry said on Tuesday it currently sees 'no signs' that North Korea is preparing to deploy troops to Russia, noting that the country is in its summer training period, with some frontline units also participating in mid-year drills.
The Independent
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Kim Jong Un shown mourning North Korean soldiers he sent to die in Putin's war in Ukraine
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been shown grieving over the coffins of his soldiers killed while fighting for Russia in Ukraine, in an unusually public display acknowledging the regime's combat losses abroad. Images aired by state broadcaster Korean Central Television over the weekend showed Mr Kim placing both hands on coffins draped in the North Korean flag, during what appeared to be a repatriation ceremony. The scene formed part of a state-orchestrated gala in Pyongyang to mark the one-year anniversary of a military pact with Russia. Photographs from the event, held at East Pyongyang Grand Theatre and attended by Russian culture minister Olga Lyubimova, captured Mr Kim visibly emotional, standing alongside his teenage daughter Kim Ju Ae and senior party officials, including his influential sister Kim Yo Jong. The ceremony featured a backdrop of stirring music and wartime imagery, including what appeared to be a blood-stained notebook from a North Korean soldier retrieved from the battlefield in Russia's Kursk region, reported the Guardian. According to Yonhap news agency, phrases inside the notebook, reportedly read, 'The decisive moment has finally come' and 'Let us bravely fight this sacred battle with the boundless love and trust bestowed upon us by our beloved Supreme Commander', in an apparent reference to Mr Kim. Though state media did not disclose when the remains were returned, officials present were dressed in heavy winter clothing, suggesting the repatriation occurred months earlier. The North only confirmed the deployment of its soldiers to Russia's war effort in April, after months of denial. Since then, Pyongyang and Moscow have begun openly commemorating the troops' 'heroic' role in reclaiming the Kursk region, a strategically significant western Russian territory once contested by Ukrainian forces. Footage from the tribute also showed Mr Kim approving battlefield plans for Kursk on three dates last year – 22 October, 12 December, and 22 December – and issuing offensive orders to special operations units. A photograph of the document was displayed, portraying him as a central commander of military operations abroad. According to South Korea 's National Intelligence Service, North Korea has deployed an estimated 15,000 troops to Russia since late 2024, with approximately 600 killed and 4,700 wounded. The latest footage showed only a handful of coffins, prompting speculation that the ceremony was more symbolic than representative of the true scale of losses. Analysts suggest the performance was designed to bolster public support and frame the deployment as part of a victorious joint mission. 'North Korea probably wanted to frame the fallen soldiers not just as sacrifices but as part of a victory narrative,' Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told Yonhap. 'The footage appears to have been released after the two countries acknowledged the troop deployment.' Russian and North Korean spectators were seen weeping during the event, as KCNA news agency praised the show for affirming the 'ties of friendship and the genuine internationalist obligation between the peoples and armies of the two countries that were forged at the cost of blood'. North Korea has also reportedly supplied Russia with artillery shells, ballistic missiles, and other weapons, in exchange for satellite and missile technology as well as economic assistance. The military agreement signed between Mr Kim and Russian president Vladimir Putin in June 2024 includes a mutual defence clause. Despite North Korean media showcasing Mr Kim's apparent grief and leadership, only a small fraction of fallen soldiers were acknowledged publicly. The South Korean defence ministry said on Tuesday it had not observed signs of imminent new deployments but acknowledged reports that additional troops – engineers and construction personnel – may be sent as early as July or August. Mr Putin has twice visited the Kursk region since regaining control, and North Korean troops are believed to have played a significant role in reversing Ukrainian advances there. While North Korean troops suffered heavy losses initially, they have earned respect in the battlefield overtime, Rob Lee, a senior research fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, told the Telegraph. Ukrainian officials Mr Lee spoke to 'had a pretty high opinion of the North Korean soldiers. They thought they're very physically fit, very tough, pretty competent'. 'Tactically, they were employed, I think, poorly by the Russians,' he said. 'But at the squad level, they have pretty good tactics, good marksmanship, and they don't surrender.'
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
North Korea's Kim shown honouring troops killed in Russia-Ukraine war
State media images showed leader Kim Jong Un honouring the flag-draped coffins of North Korean soldiers killed helping Russia fight Ukraine, as Seoul's defence ministry said Tuesday it saw no signs of further troop deployments yet. The nuclear-armed North has become one of Russia's main allies during its more than three-year-long Ukraine offensive, sending thousands of troops and container loads of weapons to help the Kremlin oust Ukrainian forces from Kursk. Around 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed and thousands more wounded fighting for Russia, according to South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun, citing information from Seoul's spy agency. The images of a visibly emotional Kim mourning the fallen soldiers were broadcast by the official Korean Central Television, released as part of an event in Pyongyang on Sunday attended by Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova. It marked the one-year anniversary of a military pact signed by the two countries, which includes a mutual defence clause. Kim was shown placing a North Korean flag over a coffin during a ceremony for the return of the remains of North Korean soldiers who were deployed and killed in Moscow's war against Kyiv. The footage also showed images of North Korean soldiers in the battlefield, accompanied by captions that said: "Oh, our heroes, shining stars of my homeland" and "those who gave their lives without hesitation to defend honour shine like radiant stars." North Korean and Russian attendees were shown bursting into tears as they watched the tribute. A photograph of a document, purportedly penned by Kim, was also featured, with a caption saying he had "approved operational plans for the liberation of Kursk and issued attack orders to special operations units" in the final months of 2024. The North Korean leader attended the performance with his teenage daughter Ju Ae -- widely seen by many analysts as his likely successor. North Korea only confirmed it had deployed troops to support Russia's war in Ukraine in April, and admitted that its soldiers had been killed in combat. South Korean lawmaker Lee said last week that the North will send more troops to Russia to assist in its war against Ukraine, possibly as early as this month, citing Seoul's spy agency. But Seoul's defence ministry said Tuesday it currently sees "no signs" that North Korea is preparing to deploy troops to Russia, noting that the country is in its summer training period, with some frontline units also participating in mid-year drills. cdl/ceb/dhc
