North Korea confirmed the participation of its military in the fighting against Ukraine in the Kursk region

This is stated in a special statement by the party's governing body regarding the Russian Federation's announcement of the "liberation" of the Kursk region.

The units of our armed forces that participated in the operation to liberate the Kursk region on the orders of the head of the DPRK... made an important contribution to the liberation of the territory of the Russian Federation from Ukrainian forces.

It is noted that North Korean military personnel were sent to the Russian-Ukrainian war in accordance with the mutual defense treaty signed in June last year between Pyongyang and Moscow.

Based on the analysis and assessment of all circumstances, it was determined that the situation meets the conditions for the application of Article 4 of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty with Russia, therefore, Comrade Kim Jong-un made a decision to participate in the war by our armed forces and informed the Russian side about this.

Pyongyang claims that the DPRK military participated in hostilities only within Russia, which is "fully consistent with the provisions of the UN Charter and other international treaties."

By order of the head of state, units of the DPRK armed forces considered the territory of Russia, where they operated, to be their country... The victorious completion of the operation to liberate the Kursk region demonstrates the highest strategic level of friendship between the two countries - the DPRK and Russia, and the allied relations between the peoples of the two countries.

The number, composition, and losses of the North Korean military contingent are not specified, but it is noted that a monument to the "combat exploits" of North Korean soldiers on Russian territory will soon be erected in Pyongyang.

On April 26, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov reported to Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin about the alleged liberation of the Kursk region from the Armed Forces of Ukraine and for the first time officially confirmed the participation of North Korean military personnel in the war against Ukraine.