North Korean leader Kim Jong Un praised his troops deployed to Russia’s Kursk region to fight in the Ukraine war, calling them “heroic” and fulfilling their duty, Al Jazeera reported.

Pyongyang confirmed in April that it sent over 10,000 soldiers to assist Russian forces, with around 600 reported killed and thousands wounded. The deployment reflects growing North Korea–Russia ties, including a strategic partnership signed last year.

Meanwhile, US President Trump has urged an end to the conflict, while Russian President Vladimir Putin has yet to meet Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy.