North Korea and Russia share "blood, life and death" in the war in Ukraine, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said in his New Year's greeting to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Agence France-Presse reported, BTA reported.
In his greeting, published last night by the North Korean news agency KCNA, Kim said 2025 was a "truly significant year" in the alliance between Pyongyang and Moscow, strengthened by "shared blood, life and death in the same trench".
First, South Korean and Western intelligence agencies reported that Pyongyang had sent thousands of soldiers to fight on Moscow's side in the war against Ukraine. In April, North Korea confirmed that its troops were deployed to support the Russian military campaign, and some of them had been killed in combat.
In early December, Pyongyang admitted that it had sent troops to clear mines in the Kursk region, near the border with Ukraine, in August. At least nine troops were killed during the 120-day deployment, Kim said in a speech on December 12 upon the return of the military unit.
Kim's New Year's greeting came two days after he himself received a congratulatory message from Putin, Reuters recalls.