Kim Jong Un Praises North Korean Troops Fighting for Russia in Ukraine

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday lauded his country’s soldiers for their role in Russia’s war against Ukraine, calling them “heroic” in a meeting with officers of the overseas operation, state media KCNA reported.

Kim “highly appreciated their feats of leading the combat units of our armed forces, which participated in the operations to liberate the Kursk Region of the Russian Federation, to victory,” according to the report.

South Korean intelligence estimates that more than 10,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to support Moscow, with additional deployments under consideration.

The praise follows Kim’s rare public tribute to fallen soldiers, during which he placed flags over coffins and laid both hands on them. “Our army has fully demonstrated its unique qualities,” KCNA quoted him as saying, declaring it “the most powerful army in the world.”

The remarks come against the backdrop of closer Pyongyang-Moscow ties. In June last year, Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a strategic partnership treaty that includes a mutual defense pact. Ahead of Putin’s upcoming meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, Kim reaffirmed his “full support” for Moscow in a phone call with Putin.