Camilla Jessen
Just days ahead of a meeting with Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is celebrating the deaths of his troops fighting in Ukraine.
North Korean state media is praising fighters who died in Ukraine using suicide tactics just days before Kim Jong-un meets Vladimir Putin in China.
The propaganda is raising new concerns about Pyongyang’s growing military ties with Moscow.
This was reported by Digi24.
North Korea Praises Soldiers Who Died “Heroically”
On Sunday, North Korean state television broadcasted a new propaganda piece, hailing the deaths of its soldiers fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.
The broadcast included stories of troops using suicide tactics—such as detonating explosives on themselves—to save comrades or avoid capture.
Glorified on State TV
The report was aired on Korean Central Television (KCTV) and showed footage of North Korean fighters in combat, letters supposedly written by Kim Jong-un to the troops, and official meetings in Moscow.
It also listed hundreds of names of fallen soldiers, painting them as heroes who sacrificed themselves for a larger cause.
According to EFE, the broadcast framed these deaths as honorable acts of “self-sacrifice,” and the tactic of using one’s own body to block drones or act as a human shield was openly celebrated.
Confirming Ukrainian Reports
Ukrainian officials have been warning for weeks that North Korean soldiers deployed in areas like Russia’s Kursk region have been using “suicidal tactics.”
The recent KCTV broadcast confirms those claims and showcases Pyongyang’s intent to use these deaths for propaganda and diplomatic gain.
Kim Jong-un Heads to Beijing
The glorification of so-called “self-sacrifice” comes just ahead of Kim Jong-un’s visit to Beijing, where he is scheduled to attend a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and other leaders, including Cuba’s Miguel Díaz-Canel and Belarus’s Alexander Lukashenko, are also expected to attend.
A Bilateral Summit on the Horizon?
According to Russian state sources and international analysts, there is speculation that a bilateral summit between Kim and Putin could take place during or after the parade.
Kim is likely to push for economic or political concessions from Russia in exchange for North Korea’s support on the battlefield.
North Korea Flexes Its Missile Might
In a separate development reported by Reuters, Kim Jong-un also visited a weapons factory on Sunday, inspecting a newly automated missile production line.
According to North Korea’s KCNA news agency, the upgraded production process is designed to boost both quality and volume of missile output.
Kim praised the facility, saying it would enhance the “combat readiness of key missile units” and ensure a higher level of productivity.
Symbolism Ahead of Diplomatic Talks
A spokesperson for South Korea’s Unification Ministry commented on the visit, stating that the move was likely intended to showcase North Korea’s expanding missile production capacity just before Kim’s visit to China.
Sanctions and Shifting Alliances
Despite years of crippling international sanctions over its illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programs, North Korea’s isolation seems to be easing — at least with its two powerful neighbors.
Experts note that support from Russia and China has blunted the effects of sanctions, allowing Pyongyang more freedom to develop its weapons programs and deepen its military partnerships.
A Strategic Message to the World
The cooperation between North Korea and Russia has raised alarms in Seoul, Washington, and Brussels.
With Pyongyang now actively supplying troops—and openly praising their deaths—the line between military support and direct involvement in the Ukraine war is becoming increasingly blurred.
