A visibly emotional Kim Jong-un was seen consoling the families of North Korean soldiers killed fighting alongside Russia during the Ukraine war. During a ceremony in Pyongyang on Friday (22 August), the North Korean dictator awarded “hero” titles to troops who returned after fighting alongside Russian forces in Kursk. “My heart aches and is bitter, as I face the reality that I only get to meet the noble figures who gave up their precious lives for great victory and glory through photos on the memorial wall,” state-run Korean Central News Agency reported Kim as saying. In 2024, Pyongyang sent more than 20,000 soldiers to the Kursk region, according to South Korean and Western intelligence agencies. Around 600 have been killed in action.