Moscow, 28 April 2025 (dpa/MIA) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday thanked North Korean soldiers for fighting alongside Russian forces to help recapture the Kursk region from Ukraine.

In a statement, Putin said the mission was carried out under a bilateral strategic partnership agreement and insisted it complied with international law.

"Our Korean friends acted out of a sense of solidarity, justice, and genuine comradeship," Putin said, adding that Russia would always remember the North Korean soldiers who were killed. He did not clarify whether the deployment had now concluded.

Russia declared the recapture of Kursk complete on Saturday, although the situation remains volatile. According to Ukrainian military officials, Ukrainian units continue to hold several square kilometres of territory inside the Russian region.

North Korea earlier Monday confirmed for the first time that it sent troops to fight for Russia, with the deployment ordered by leader Kim Jong Un, according to a release published by North Korea's state news agency KCNA.

"The operations for liberating the Kursk area to repel the adventurous invasion of the Russian Federation by the Ukrainian authorities were victoriously concluded," KCNA reported, citing the North Korean military leadership.

According to South Korea's intelligence agency, North Korea sent about 11,000 soldiers to support Russia late last year, primarily deployed in the region around the areas occupied by Ukraine in Russia's Kursk.

Another 3,000 soldiers were reportedly sent in early 2025, according to the South Korean military leadership.

Seoul claims that North Korea's army has suffered around 4,000 casualties in the Ukraine war, which includes both injuries and deaths.

In addition to sending troops, North Korea continues to supply Russia with large quantities of ammunition and weapons, including short-range missiles, self-propelled howitzers and rocket launchers, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

MIA file photo