North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has decorated some of the soldiers sent to Russia to help it in its war against Ukraine, hailing the "heroes" who had "cemented" the North Korean army's reputation and saying there would be more such deployments.

Why It Matters

North Korea has sent about 15,000 troops to Russia, according to South Korean estimates, and has also supplied vital military equipment to Russia for its war, including artillery and ballistic missiles.

North Korea only acknowledged its role in the Ukraine conflict about six months after the first reports emerged of its troops on the front lines in Russia's Kursk region, where they were deployed following an incursion by Ukrainian forces.

The deployment signaled growing international assertiveness by the isolated state and highl

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