North Korea, in the presence of DPRK leader Kim Jong Un, held a ceremony to welcome engineering troops who returned home from the Kursk region in western Russia after completing a demining mission, UNN reports with reference to Yonhap.
Details
The ceremony took place in Pyongyang on Friday, welcoming the return of troops from the 528th Engineering Regiment, who departed for Kursk in early August, the Korean Central News Agency reported on Saturday.
Pyongyang sent about 1,000 engineering troops to Kursk to join the work of Russian demining forces. Earlier, the DPRK deployed about 15,000 combat troops to support Russia in the war against Ukraine.
During the ceremony, Kim expressed his gratitude to the troops for their safe return, noting that there was a "terrible loss of nine lives."
"You could create a miracle by transforming a vast area of a dangerous zone into a safe one in less than three months, a task that was considered impossible to accomplish even in several years," Kim said.
He emphasized that "the armed villains of the West, armed with all the latest military equipment, cannot compare with this revolutionary army with unfathomable spiritual depth."
The North Korean leader awarded the regiment the Order of Freedom and Independence, bestowed the title of "Hero of the DPRK" and first-class orders to the fallen servicemen, KCNA reported.
Addition
Earlier this year, the North Korean leader honored North Korean troops involved in the war between Russia and Ukraine, calling them "great heroes and patriots." The DPRK also built a memorial hall in Pyongyang in honor of its servicemen who died in combat.
North Korea and Russia have deepened military cooperation since signing a mutual defense treaty last June.