North Korea has confirmed the deployment of troops to fight alongside Russia in the Ukraine war, a decision made by Kim Jong-un under a 2024 strategic partnership treaty with Putin. The North Korean state news agency KCNA emphasized the “firm militant friendship” between the two countries, citing the recent military actions in Russia’s Kursk region. Ukrainian officials estimate that around 14,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent, although they faced heavy casualties due to a lack of experience with modern warfare tactics.