North Korea's Kim Shown Honouring Troops Killed In Russia-Ukraine War
The nuclear-armed North has become one of Russia's main allies during its more than three-year-long Ukraine offensive, sending thousands of troops and container loads of weapons to help the Kremlin oust Ukrainian forces from Kursk.
Around 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed and thousands more wounded fighting for Russia, according to South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun, citing information from Seoul's spy agency.
The images of a visibly emotional Kim mourning the fallen soldiers were broadcast by the official Korean Central Television, released as part of an event in Pyongyang on Sunday attended by Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova.
It marked the one-year anniversary of a military pact signed by the two countries, which includes a mutual defence clause.
Kim was shown placing a North Korean flag over a coffin during a ceremony for the return of the remains of North Korean soldiers who were deployed and killed in Moscow's war against Kyiv.
The footage also showed images of North Korean soldiers in the battlefield, accompanied by captions that said: "Oh, our heroes, shining stars of my homeland" and "those who gave their lives without hesitation to defend honour shine like radiant stars."
North Korean and Russian attendees were shown bursting into tears as they watched the tribute.
A photograph of a document, purportedly penned by Kim, was also featured, with a caption saying he had "approved operational plans for the liberation of Kursk and issued attack orders to special operations units" in the final months of 2024.
The North Korean leader attended the performance with his teenage daughter Ju Ae -- widely seen by many analysts as his likely successor.
North Korea only confirmed it had deployed troops to support Russia's war in Ukraine in April, and admitted that its soldiers had been killed in combat.
South Korean lawmaker Lee said last week that the North will send more troops to Russia to assist in its war against Ukraine, possibly as early as this month, citing Seoul's spy agency.
But Seoul's defence ministry said Tuesday it currently sees "no signs" that North Korea is preparing to deploy troops to Russia, noting that the country is in its summer training period, with some frontline units also participating in mid-year drills. The images of Kim mourning the fallen soldiers were broadcast as part of an event in Pyongyang attended by Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
DW
39 minutes ago
- DW
Ukraine updates: US halts some missile deliveries to Kyiv – DW – 07/02/2025
The halt of some US weapons shipments represents a blow to Kyiv's efforts to fend off Russia's attacks. Meanwhile, French President Macron and Russia's Putin held talks for the first time in over two-and-a-half Pentagon has halted some weapons shipments to Ukraine over concerns that US stockpiles have fallen too low. "This decision was made to put America's interests first following a review of our nation's military support and assistance to other countries across the globe," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement. The move represents a blow to Ukraine as it tries to fend off Russia's missile and drone attacks. In addition to ramping up air attacks across Ukraine, Russian forces, which already control about a fifth of Ukraine, continue to advance gradually. They have gained ground in recent weeks in Ukraine's southeastern regions of Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk. Among the weapons shipments halted by the US are air defense interceptors to help knock down Russian drones and projectiles, and other precision munitions, Reuters news agency reported, citing two people familiar with the decision. The US has so far provided Ukraine over $66 billion (€56 billion) worth of weapons and military assistance since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video French President Emmanuel Macron and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, spoke Tuesday by telephone for the first time in over two-and-a-half years. During the talks, Macron urged a ceasefire in Ukraine, but Russia's leader responded by blaming the West for the conflict. The talks lasted for more than two hours. Macron and Putin agreed to hold more contacts on Ukraine and Iran in the future, the French presidency said. Macron had informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of his plans to speak with Putin, and talked to him afterwards, Macron's office said without providing further details of the call to Zelenskyy. The French president tried in a series of calls in 2022 to warn Putin against invading Ukraine and traveled to Moscow early that year. He kept up phone contact with Putin after the invasion, but talks then ceased. The last call between the two leaders dated back to September 2022. Macron has over the last year toughened his line against Russia, saying its expansionism is a threat to all of Europe. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video , and welcome to DW's coverage of the latest developments concerning Russia's war in Ukraine. The US said late Tuesday that it's halting some key weapons shipments to Ukraine that were promised under the previous Biden administration. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, for the first time in over two-and-a-half years, Stay tuned for more news and analysis.
Int'l Business Times
2 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
US Halting Some Shipments Of Military Aid To Ukraine
The White House said Tuesday it is halting some key weapons shipments to Ukraine that were promised under the Biden administration for Kyiv's battle against the Russian invasion. Stopping the delivery of munitions and other military aid including air defense systems likely would be a blow to Ukraine as it contends with some of Russia's largest missile and drone attacks of the three-year-old war. "This decision was made to put America's interests first following a DOD (Department of Defense) review of our nation's military support and assistance to other countries across the globe," White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly told AFP in an email. The curtailment of military aid signals a possible shift in the priorities of US President Donald Trump, who has pressed for Russia and Ukraine to speed up stalled peace talks. The Republican has moved on to playing a greater role in orchestrating a possible ceasefire in Gaza and toning down Iran-Israel tensions after a deadly 12-day conflict between the arch foes. The Pentagon review determined that stocks had become too low on some previously pledged munitions, and that some pending shipments now would not be sent, said a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity, according to Politico which first reported the halt of military aid. "The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned -- just ask Iran," Kelly said, making a reference to the recent US bombings and missile strikes against the Islamic republic's nuclear facilities. Politico and other US media reported that missiles for Patriot air defense systems, precision artillery and Hellfire missiles are among the items being held back. Last week at a NATO summit in the Netherlands, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Trump and appeared to get a vague response from the US leader on Patriot air defense systems. "We're going to see if we can make some available," Trump said of the missiles that Kyiv desperately seeks to shoot down Russian attacks. "They're very hard to get," Trump added. Asked by AFP for comment on the halt of shipments and why it was occurring, the Pentagon did not respond directly. But its chief spokesman Sean Parnell said "America's military has never been more ready and more capable thanks to President Trump and Secretary (Pete) Hegseth's leadership."
Int'l Business Times
5 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Trump Urges 60-day Gaza Ceasefire Deal Ahead Of Netanyahu Visit
US President Donald Trump urged Hamas on Tuesday to accept a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, saying that Israel had agreed to finalize such a deal, as its forces also stepped up operations in the Palestinian territory. Trump, in a post on social media, said his representatives had met with Israeli officials about the raging conflict, ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington next week. "Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War," Trump wrote. He said representatives of Qatar and Egypt, mediators in the conflict, would deliver "this final proposal." "I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better -- IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE," he added. Trump earlier on Tuesday said he would be "very firm" with Netanyahu when they meet on July 7. The end of Israel's 12-day war with Iran -- which followed a US bombing mission on Tehran's nuclear sites -- has provided a window of opportunity for a deal, with Trump keen to add another peace agreement to a series of recent deals he has brokered. Israel's campaign meanwhile continued to rage on, with Gaza's civil defense agency reporting Israeli forces killed at least 26 people on Tuesday. In response to reports of deadly strikes in the north and south of the territory, the Israeli army told AFP it was "operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities." Separately, it said Tuesday morning that in recent days it had "expanded its operations to additional areas within the Gaza Strip, eliminating dozens of terrorists and dismantling hundreds of terror infrastructure sites both above and below ground." Raafat Halles, 39, from the Shujaiya district of Gaza City, said "air strikes and shelling have intensified over the past week," and tanks have been advancing. "I believe that every time negotiations or a potential ceasefire are mentioned, the army escalates crimes and massacres on the ground," he said. "I don't know why." AFP photographers saw Israeli tanks deploying at the Gaza border in southern Israel and children picking through the rubble of a destroyed home in Gaza City. Others photographed Palestinians mourning over the bodies of relatives in the city's Al-Shifa hospital and the Al-Aqsa hospital in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza. The Red Cross warned that Gaza's few functioning medical facilities were overwhelmed, with nearly all public hospitals "shut down or gutted by months of hostilities and restrictions" on supplies. "The International Committee of the Red Cross is deeply alarmed by the intensifying hostilities in Gaza City and Jabaliya, which have reportedly caused dozens of deaths and injuries among civilians over the past 36 hours," the ICRC said in a statement. Gaza's civil defense service said 16 people were killed near aid distribution sites in central and southern Gaza on Tuesday, in the latest in a spate of deadly attacks on those seeking food, with 10 others killed in other Israeli operations. Commenting on the incidents, the Israeli military told AFP its forces "fired warning shots to distance suspects who approached the troops", adding it was not aware of any injuries but would review the incidents. Referring to an incident in Rafah, it said the shots were fired "hundreds of meters (yards) away from the aid distribution site", which was "not operating". Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by rescuers. A group of 169 aid organizations called Monday for an end to Gaza's "deadly" new US- and Israeli-backed aid distribution scheme which they said was leading to civilian deaths. They urged a return to the UN-led aid mechanism that existed until March, when Israel imposed a full blockade on humanitarian assistance entering Gaza during an impasse in truce talks with Hamas. The new scheme's administrator, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), has distanced itself from reports of aid seekers being killed near its centers. Netanyahu announced he would visit Trump and senior US security officials next week, amid mounting pressure to end the devastating fighting in Gaza and bring the remaining hostages home. Trump, while visiting a migrant detention center in Florida, said Netanyahu "wants to end it too." Hamas official Taher al-Nunu told AFP the group is "ready to agree to any proposal if it will lead to an end to the war and a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of occupation forces". "So far, there has been no breakthrough." Palestinian children crowded round to receive a hot meal at a food distribution point in Nuseirat on June 30 AFP Israeli troops deployed at the border with the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, as the military announced it had expanded its campaign in the territory AFP Palestinian children picked through the wreckage around a destroyed home in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza AFP
