North Korea staged a big ceremony on Friday for soldiers returning from fighting in Russia, video from state media showed.

Nine of them died, according to the official report.

Video from state broadcaster KRT showed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hugging the soldiers, as well as laying a white flower in front of portraits of the nine who died in combat.

The event took place at a giant building close to the centre of the North Korean capital Pyongyang, called the April 25 House of Culture. It often hosts official events and military-related events. The name of the building refers to the founding date that North Korean official history says was when its first leader Kim Il Sung started a militia to fight the Japanese occupation of Korea.

North Korean state media said that the troops are a regiment of engineers, and quoted Kim Jong Un saying in his speech that they had been deployed to Kursk to help Russia.

North Korean authorities have been increasing open in displaying their support for Russia's war against Ukraine.