North Korea has held a welcoming ceremony for engineer troopswho returned home from Russia's western Kursk region afterconducting a mine clearance mission, with its leader Kim Jong-unrecognizing the sacrifices of nine personnel who were killed there,Azernews reports, citing Yonhap.

The ceremony took place in Pyongyang on Friday, welcoming thereturn of the troops from the 528th Regiment of Engineers, who leftfor Kursk in early August, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA)reported Saturday.

Pyongyang sent around 1,000 engineer troops to Kursk to joinRussian forces' work to remove mines that were planted by Ukrainesoldiers. Earlier, the North deployed around 15,000 combat troopsto support Russia in its war against Ukraine.

During the ceremony, Kim expressed his appreciation to thetroops for their safe return while noting that there was"heartrending loss of nine lives."

"You could work a miracle of turning a vast area of danger zoneinto a safe and secure one in a matter of less than three months,the task which was believed to be impossible to be carried out evenin several years," Kim said.

He stressed that "the armed villains of the West, armed withwhatever latest military hardware they are, cannot match thisrevolutionary army with an unfathomable spiritual depth."

The North's leader conferred the order of freedom andindependence on the regiment and awarded the title of "DPRK Hero"and the first-class orders to the deceased troops, according to theKCNA. DPRK is short for the North's official name, the DemocraticPeople's Republic of Korea.

Earlier this year, the North Korean leader awarded commendationsto the North's troops deployed for the Russia-Ukraine war, praisingthem as "great heroes and patriots." The North also built amemorial hall in Pyongyang to honor its troops who were killedduring combat.

North Korea and Russia have been deepening military cooperationsince they signed a mutual defense treaty in June last year.

• Tags:
• North Korea