North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has decorated some of the soldiers sent to Russia to help it in its war against Ukraine, hailing the "heroes" who had "cemented" the North Korean army's reputation and saying there would be more such deployments.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during an event to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the country's liberation from Japan's colonial rule, in Pyongyang, North Korea, August 14, 2025, in this picture released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has paid an emotional tribute to soldiers who have died fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine, saying his ‘heart aches’ in a rare admission of military losses.