Kim Jong Un says his ‘heart aches’ over North Korean soldiers killed fighting for Russia, in rare admission of losses

Seoul, South Korea —

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has paid an emotional tribute to soldiers killed while fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine, saying his ‘heart aches’ in a rare admission of military losses.

Kim made the comments on Thursday at a ceremony in Pyongyang, where he met with commanders of a unit that had fought for Russia in the western Kursk region, according to North Korean state media KCNA. He praised them as “a heroic army,” with state media photos showing Kim pinning commendation badges on soldiers’ uniforms.

Photos released by KCNA showed Kim pinning badges on the photo frames of deceased soldiers, which lined the wall with each soldier’s name written in gold beneath their image.

“My heart aches and is bitter as I face the reality that I only get to mee