‘Deeply Grateful to Comrade Kim Jong-un’: Putin Lauds North Korea for Sending Troops to Fight Ukraine

Latest Developments

• Putin Thanks North Korean Regime: Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un on April 28 for providing troops to support Russia in its invasion of Ukraine. “The Korean friends acted, guided by the sentiments of solidarity, justice and real camaraderie,” Putin said. “We appreciate it a lot and are deeply grateful to comrade Kim Jong-un … and the North Korean people.”
• North Korea Acknowledges Troops Sent to Russia: Putin’s announcement came just hours after North Korea publicly confirmed for the first time that it had dispatched troops to support Russian forces. According to North Korean state media, Kim praised the soldiers’ “heroism and bravery,” claiming that the deployment was intended to strengthen the military alliance between the two countries.
• Growing North Korean Presence in Russian Military: The Biden administration revealed the deployment of North Korean troops to assist Russia as early as October 2024. Since then, an estimated 14,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent, including 3,000 in 2025 to replace those killed or wounded. The United States, South Korea, and Ukraine have estimated that upward of 4,000 North Korean troops have been killed or injured while fighting for Russia.

FDD Expert Response

“Why is Kim Jong-un providing soldiers to help Vladimir Putin’s troops kill Ukrainians? It’s not because North Koreans hate Ukrainians. It’s because Kim recognizes that if Putin can use military force to crush a pro-American neighbor, he may be able to do the same to South Korea, another free and democratic American ally. Communist China and Islamist Iran are assisting Putin for the same reason. These four regimes constitute an Axis of Aggressors that threaten their neighbors and seek to diminish American power, prestige, and global preeminence.” — Clifford D. May, Founder and President

“North Korean troops played an important role in helping Russia push the Ukrainians out of Kursk Oblast, denying Kyiv a bargaining chip in peace talks. For Pyongyang, the deployment provided valuable combat experience and could lead to greater military-technical assistance from Russia. Still unclear is whether Moscow’s and Pyongyang’s announcements signal the end of the North Korean deployment or, conversely, a longer-term mission potentially expanded to allow North Korean forces to fight inside Ukraine itself. While the Russian military’s own recruitment rate remains high, redeploying North Korean troops to, say, Donetsk Oblast could intensify pressure on Ukraine’s defense there.” — John Hardie, Russia Program Deputy Director

“Putin’s thanks for North Korean troops reveals how rogue states will stick together when the chips are down. Once hailed as the ‘second most powerful military’ in the world, the Kremlin is using Pyongyang to prop up its war effort against Ukrainian troops. North Korea’s active involvement is an expansion of the war out of Russian necessity.” — Peter Doran, Adjunct Senior Fellow

FDD Background and Analysis

“On Crimea and Russia Sanctions Relief, Congress Has Leverage,” by John Hardie, Peter Doran, Matthew Zweig, and Nick Stewart

“‘Our Friends in China’: Russia, Iran, and China Jointly Meet With IAEA Ahead of Negotiations With United States,” FDD Flash Brief

“Many Dead as Russian Missile Barrage Causes Carnage in Kyiv,” FDD Flash Brief

“Yes, step up the pace on Ukraine peace — with fresh consequences if Putin resists,” by John Hardie