Watch: Rare Footage Of Kim Jong Un Mourning Over Coffins Of DPRK Troops Killed In Ukraine War

In a surprising first, North Korea’s state-run media aired footage on Monday showing leader Kim Jong-un mourning the deaths of North Korean soldiers, said to be killed while fighting in Russia’s war in Ukraine as part of allied forces.

Primarily the estimated ten to fourteen thousand DPRK troops dispatched to assist Moscow fought in Russia’s Kursk province, where they helped repel the over six-month Ukrainian occupation of the southern border oblast.

The broadcast, released by Korean Central Television, featured Kim solemnly placing a North Korean flag over a coffin during an emotion-laden and patriotic ceremony.

The occasion for the memorial footage was the return of the soldiers’ remains from Russia, though no details were given as to the number of the deceased being remembered.

This was played before an audience attending joint cultural event hosted by North Korea and Russia in Pyongyang on Sunday. The footage was aired presumably for the first time publicly at this event.

This weekend marked the first anniversary of the signing of the two countries’ “comprehensive strategic partnership” treaty. This served as the ‘legal basis’ on which the North Korean troop deployment to Russia happened.

According to more details of the released footage via Yonhap News agency:

These images were broadcast after photos of North Korean soldiers were shown alongside Russian troops, and of a blood-stained notebook believed to belong to a North Korean soldier retrieved from the battleground in Russia’s Kursk region.

In the notebook, a message read that “The decisive moment has finally come,” and “Let us bravely fight this sacred battle with the boundless love and trust bestowed upon us by our beloved Supreme Commander,” which refers to Kim, according to the broadcast.

It’s been reported that North Korean state media has been repeatedly airing clips of Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova and other attendees wiping away tears during the event.

Watch the footage below:

How North Korea celebrates its soldiers who died fighting Ukrainians. The axis between Moscow and Pyongyang is no longer a marriage of convenience. pic.twitter.com/piNC1r2tTj

— Yaroslav Trofimov (@yarotrof) June 30, 2025

One interesting observation from the state footage of the return of the soldiers’ remains is the winter clothing on Kim and other officials, which suggests that Pyongyang may have begun receiving its dead soldiers back a few months ago.

Back in April, President Putin released a statement saying, “The Russian people will never forget the heroism of the Korean special forces. We will always honor the Korean heroes who gave their lives for Russia and for our shared freedom, alongside their brothers-in-arms from the Russian Federation.”