According to state media KCNA, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un utilized the 78th anniversary celebrations of the country’s founding to commend troops involved in “overseas military operations” during a speech at Pyongyang’s assembly hall. Kim expressed special gratitude and respect to commanders and soldiers “participating in overseas military operations,” which is presumed to refer to North Korean troops deployed to support Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The article notes that North Korea has reportedly dispatched an estimated 14,000 to 15,000 troops to fight alongside Russian forces since late 2024, as per Western and South Korean officials. Additionally, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service estimated in February 2026 that approximately 6,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed or wounded. While Pyongyang is reportedly preparing for an additional troop deployment to Russia, South Korea’s Defence Ministry indicated in late August that there were no immediate signs of such a deployment. In exchange for sending troops and munitions, North Korea has reportedly received economic and military technology assistance from Russia, according to South Korean intelligence assessments. Read more at Yahoo News

This is a summary. Read the original at yahoo.com.