Kim Jong Un's New Year message to Putin: North Korea and Russia shared 'blood, life and death' in Ukraine war
North Korea and Russia split “blood, life and death” in the war in Ukraine, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said in his New Year's message to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Relations between the two countries have grown significantly closer since the start of the invasion of Ukraine.
Kim Jong Un. PHOTO: Profimedia
In the message published by North Korea's official KCNA news agency on Friday, Kim described the year 2025 as a “really significant” for the alliance between Pyongyang and Moscow, pointing out that the relations between the two countries have been strengthened by the fact that they fought “in the same trenches”.
According to South Korean and Western intelligence services, North Korea has sent thousands of soldiers to fight alongside the Russian army in the invasion of Ukraine, launched almost four years ago, reports AFP, taken by Agerpres.
Pyongyang officially confirmed only in April that it had deployed troops to support Russia's military campaign and that North Korean soldiers had been killed in the fighting.
Earlier in December, North Korean authorities acknowledged that they had sent ground troops to mine Russia's Kursk region near the border with Ukraine in August 2025. Kim Jong Un said in a speech on December 12 that at least nine North Korean soldiers had been killed during the 120-day mission.
The New Year's message to Vladimir Putin came a day after the Pyongyang leader ordered an increase in missile production starting in 2026. North Korea has stepped up its missile tests in recent years, seeking, analysts say, to improve its military capabilities, provoke the United States and South Korea and test weapons for export to Russia.
Relations between North Korea and Russia have grown significantly closer since the start of the war in Ukraine. In addition to sending troops, Pyongyang has supplied Russia with artillery shells, missiles and long-range missile systems.
In return, Russia provides North Korea with financial support, military technology, as well as food and energy aid, according to experts.
