Reuters
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North Korean chief Kim Jong Un attended a welcoming ceremony for a military engineering unit that had returned house after finishing up duties in Russia, the North’s KCNA information company reported on Saturday.
In a speech carried by KCNA, Kim praised officers and troopers of the 528th Regiment of Engineers of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) for “heroic” conduct and “mass heroism” in fulfilling orders issued by the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea throughout a 120-day abroad deployment.
Video footage launched by North Korea confirmed uniformed troopers disembarking from an plane, Kim hugging a soldier seated in a wheelchair, and troopers and officers gathered to welcome the troops.
KCNA stated the unit had been dispatched in early August and carried out fight and engineering duties within the Kursk area of Russia throughout Moscow’s conflict with Ukraine.
Last month, Russia’s Defence Ministry stated North Korean troops who helped Russia repel a serious Ukrainian incursion into its western Kursk area at the moment are enjoying an essential position in clearing the world of mines.
Under a mutual protection pact between the 2 international locations, North Korea final 12 months despatched some 14,000 soldiers to struggle alongside Russia in Kursk, and greater than 6,000 have been killed, in line with South Korean, Ukrainian and Western sources.
Kim stated 9 troopers have been killed in the course of the mission, describing their deaths as a “heartrending loss,” and introduced that the regiment can be awarded the Order of Freedom and Independence. The 9 fallen troopers have been awarded the title of Hero of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, together with different state honors, KCNA stated.
The welcoming ceremony was held on Friday in Pyongyang and was attended by senior navy officers, ruling occasion leaders, households of the troopers and enormous crowds, in line with the report.
In his speech, Kim stated the regiment had cleared harmful areas beneath fight situations and demonstrated “absolute loyalty” to the occasion and the state. He additionally praised the political indoctrination, self-discipline and unity among the many troops, calling their efficiency a mannequin for the armed forces.
North Korea has been publicly honoring its troops who fought for Russia within the war in Ukraine. In August, Kim praised them in a gathering with officers concerned in abroad operations, whereas state media earlier confirmed him draping coffins with the nationwide flag in what gave the impression to be the repatriation of troopers killed alongside Russian forces.