Kim Opens Memorial to Honor North Korean Soldiers Killed in Ukraine, Estimated 2,000 Deaths
Kim Jong Un opened a memorial in Pyongyang honoring North Korean soldiers killed in Ukraine, with South Korean intelligence estimating about 2,000 deaths among the 15,000 troops deployed to support Russia's war effort.
BBC reported on April 28 that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov opened a memorial in Pyongyang to honor North Korean troops who died fighting in the Ukraine war. While official figures on North Korean troop deployments in Ukraine remain undisclosed, South Korean intelligence estimates over 15,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent to assist Russia. These troops have been involved in operations to recapture areas of Russia's Kursk region in western Russia in exchange for food, money, and military aid, with intelligence assessments indicating approximately 2,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed in combat. Kim reaffirmed to Belousov that North Korea "will fully support the Russian Federation's policies in protecting sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national security interests as always," adding that Russia "will certainly achieve victory in this sacred and righteous war."
