Ukraine: North Korean Authorities Officially Confirm Participation in War

North Korea has officially confirmed the involvement of its troops in the war with Ukraine, Orda.kz reports, citing the state news agency KCNA.

According to the publication, North Korean soldiers took part in battles in Russia’s Kursk region. It was emphasized that these were not volunteers, but regular army units deployed to the frontlines by the direct order of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The sub-units of our armed forces, which participated in operations to liberate the Kursk region under the order of the head of state of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, fully demonstrated their high fighting spirit and military discipline. They made an important contribution to annihilating the Ukrainian neo-Nazi forces and liberating the territory of the Russian Federation, displaying mass heroism, unparalleled bravery, and a self-sacrificing spirit
the KCNA report stated. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin later expressed his gratitude to the North Korean army.

Previously, the Chief of the General Staff of Russia, Valery Gerasimov, reported that Russian forces had fully expelled the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the Kursk region, becoming the first to acknowledge the DPRK soldiers' involvement in the war officially.

However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, citing the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, stated that fighting in the Kursk region is still ongoing.

Reports suggesting North Korean troop involvement in the war had been circulating unofficially for several months.

Original Author: Igor Ulitin