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North Korean Leader Kim Praises Troops Fighting 'on Foreign Soil'

Published January 1, 2026, 07:15
North Korean Leader Kim Praises Troops Fighting 'on Foreign Soil'

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has praised members of the country's armed forces deployed and fighting 'on foreign soil,' referencing Pyongyang's alliance with Moscow in a New Year's message to the military broadcast by state media. Kim stated, "As a festive mood prevails across the country to greet the new year, I miss you even more as you fight bravely in battlefields in foreign lands, even at this moment, faithfully carrying out the orders of the motherland." He added, "Show bravery. Pyongyang and Moscow are behind you." North Korea has sent thousands of soldiers to fight alongside Russian forces since the invasion of Ukraine nearly four years ago, according to South Korean and Western intelligence services. South Korean estimates indicate at least 600 North Korean officers have been killed. In return, Moscow has offered Pyongyang economic aid, military technologies, food, and hydrocarbons, analysts point out. Kim lauded his men for strengthening the "invincible alliance" with the "brotherly Russian people."