Kim Jong Un Meets Families of North Korean Soldiers Killed in Ukraine, Promises State Support

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met families of troops killed while fighting for Russia in Ukraine, offering condolences for their “unbearable pain,” state media reported Saturday.

Seoul estimates that around 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed and thousands wounded in combat, though Pyongyang has not disclosed casualty figures. Intelligence agencies in South Korea and the West believe more than 10,000 North Korean troops were sent to Russia in 2024, mainly to the Kursk region, along with artillery, missiles, and rocket systems.

Addressing the families Friday, Kim said he wanted to “console the bereaved families of all the heroes and relieve them of their sorrow and anguish even a little,” according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). He pledged to build a monument and a new street in their honor, while promising state care for the children of fallen soldiers.

“My heart breaks and aches more at the sight of those little children,” Kim said. “I, our state and our army will take full responsibility for them and train them admirably as staunch and courageous fighters like their fathers.”

North Korea only acknowledged in April that its soldiers were deployed in Ukraine and had suffered casualties. KCNA has since released images showing an emotional Kim embracing returning soldiers, kneeling before portraits of the fallen, and paying tribute to flag-draped coffins.