North Korea’s Kim bestows ‘hero’ titles on soldiers killed in Ukraine war

Kim Jong Un participates in latest public event to honour North Korean troops who served with Russian forces in war against Ukraine.Published On 13 Dec 2025North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un has hugged injured soldiers in wheelchairs at a ceremony in the capital, Pyongyang, to welcome home troops who served with Russian forces in the war against Ukraine.State-run Korean Central News Agency said on Saturday that Kim praised the “mass heroism” of the returning 528th Regiment of Engineers of the Korean People’s Army, which had served in Russia’s Kursk region.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Top global arms producers’ revenues surge as major wars rage: SIPRI reportlist 2 of 4South Korean president mulls apology to Northlist 3 of 4S Korea, Japan scramble warplanes in response to Russia, China air patrollist 4 of 4N Korea’s Kim hails ‘ever-victorious’ army’s role in war against Ukraineend of listKim hailed the regiment’s conduct during its 120-day overseas deployment, which commenced in early August and involved combat and engineering duties, including mine clearing in the Kursk region of Russia, where Ukrainian forces had infiltrated and occupied for months before withdrawing.“You could work a miracle of turning a vast area of danger zone into a safe and secure one in a matter of less than three months, the task which was believed to be impossible to be carried out even in several years,” Kim said, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.“The armed villains of the West, armed with whatever latest military hardware they are, cannot match this revolutionary army with an unfathomable spiritual depth,” Kim added at the ceremony on Friday.North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Friday welcomed soldiers from the Korean People’s Army’s 528th Regiment of Engineers, who returned from an overseas deployment in Russia’s Kursk region [KCNA via AFP]The North’s leader also spoke of the “heartrending loss” of nine members of the regiment and announced that the unit would be conferred with the Order of Freedom and Independence. The deceased troops would also be honoured with the title Hero of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, KCNA said, referring to North Korea’s official name.