Kim Jong Un says his ‘heart aches’ over North Korean soldiers killed fighting for Russia, in rare admission of losses
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un paid an emotional tribute to the soldiers who were killed while fighting for Russia in the war against Ukraine, and rarely in the acceptance of military losses, ‘His heart hurts’.
Kim met a ceremony in Pyongyang at a ceremony in Kim Pyongyang, according to the North Korean state media Kcna. He praised them as a “heroic army ıyla with the state media photographs that showed that he had fixed his praise rosette on the uniforms of the soldiers.
The photographs published by KCNA showed Kim’s wall in the photo frames of the deceased soldiers who listed the wall, under the name of each soldier’s name.
According to KCNA, he said, “My heart hurts and suffering, and it is painful when I face the fact that I met the noble figures that leave their valuable lives for great victory and glory through the photographs on the monumental wall.”
According to the North Korean state media, Kim praised the soldiers returning from Russia at the ceremony in Pyongyang on August 21st – Kcna
“While standing in front of the mourning families of the soldiers who fell, I do not know how to express my regret and apologize for not being able to protect our precious sons.”
According to the images published by North Korea, the ceremony shed tears and Kim met with the mourning family members who were seen to pay hiccups and tribute to the photographs of the soldiers on the wall. In a few images, who embraces crying children and embraces the soldiers.
KCNA reported that the authorities had organized a feast to celebrate the unit that returned later.
Kim met with the mourning families of North Korean soldiers who died in Pyongyang on August 21 to fight for Russia on August 21st – KCNA
After the high -profile meetings between North Korea, Kim and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, he began to send a large number of soldiers and equipment to support Russia’s war against Ukraine, and brought an asian and autocratic Asian power to the heart of a European war.
Both Russia and North Korea initially refused to approve of any deployment, but since then, Pyongyang has clearly accepted the participation of the powers.
Kim and the regime have strictly lips about the reports sent by North Korean soldiers to fight in Kursk-a rare acceptance of how much damage the effect of this week’s ceremony.
Approximately 12,000 North Korean soldiers are estimated to be in Russia and show that intelligence Kim soon plans to double this number. – kcna
Troops in Russia
Ukrainian and US intelligence show that there are about 12,000 North Korean soldiers in Russia and the first was sent in the autumn of 2024.
From this first deployment, approximately 4,000 soldiers were killed or injured, according to Western authorities.
Although North Korea has been one of the most militarized societies in the world with its estimated 1.2 million armed service personnel and compulsory military service from the age of 17, its forces have been fighting very little since the Korean War, where a ceasefire stopped hostility in 1953.
Pyongyang’s soldiers face a non -familiar land in a modern war theater that lacks the experience of war in the real world. However, some analysts warned against the underestimation of the North Korean troops fighting for Russia, and they probably came from distinguished and extremely vaccinated forces.
In the interviews with CNN, the Ukrainian Special Operations forces described their brutal and hyacinth tactics from the North Koreans in the battlefield. Among them, a soldier who detonated a grenade next to his head instead of being caught; And others who remove their helmets and heavy protective body armor to move faster in attacking Ukrainian positions.
Despite heavy losses, North Korea’s cooperation with Russia continued. Since the war began, Pyongyang has sent materials for thousands of shipping containers or ammunition to Russia and the powers of Moscow have begun North Korean Made Missiles According to US officials, in Ukraine.
In July, the new intelligence from Ukrainian officials claimed that he had sent 25,000 to 30,000 troops to help Moscow in the coming months, which would double the number of troops of North Korea in Russia.
A Western intelligence official confirmed that they see information separately from the Ukrainian assessment showing the same numbers.
This also created fears such as what Moscow can provide to Pyongyang among international observers – advanced space or satellite technology and technology that could increase the country’s nuclear weapon program.
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