SEOUL: Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed North Korean troops sent to fight in Ukraine as “heroic” in a letter to Kim Jong Un, North Korean state media reported on Friday.

In a letter marking the anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese rule, Putin recalled how Soviet Red Army units and North Korean forces fought together to end Japan’s colonial occupation.

“The bonds of militant friendship, goodwill and mutual aid which were consolidated in the days of the war long ago remain solid and reliable even today,” Putin said in a letter revealed by North Korean state media.

“This was fully proved by the heroic participation of the DPRK soldiers in liberating the territory of Kursk region from the Ukrainian occupationists,” he said, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

“The Russian people will keep forever the memories of their bravery and self-sacrifice.”

Putin added that the two countries would continue to “act jointly and effectively (to) defend their sovereignty and make a significant contribution to establishing a just and multi-polarised world order”.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2025