North Korea’s Kim Jong Un pledges ‘invariable support’ for Putin in birthday letter, calls Russia’s war against Ukraine ‘sacred’

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged his “invariable support” for Russian President Vladimir Putin and described Moscow’s war against Ukraine as a “sacred war of justice”, Pyongyang’s state media reported on Wednesday (Oct 07). Kim made the remarks in a birthday letter to Putin, in which he also vowed to strengthen ties between North Korea and Russia. The letter underlines the deepening strategic partnership between the two countries, which has expanded significantly since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Kim hails Russia’s ‘sacred war’

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim said he was pleased to have a “good friendship” with Putin and expressed a desire to “open up a new chapter” in bilateral relations. “I reaffirm my invariable support for you and the Russian Federation,” Kim said, according to KCNA.

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He added that he was “firmly convinced that the Russian people's sacred war of justice” would end in victory.

Kim also described the strengthening of the Russia-North Korea partnership as a steadfast policy of his government. The two countries signed a mutual defence pact in June 2024, providing the framework for expanded military cooperation.

North Korean troops in Russia

North Korea has emerged as an important military partner for Moscow during the Ukraine war. Western and South Korean officials estimate that Pyongyang has sent around 14,000 to 15,000 troops to support Russian forces since late 2024.

South Korea's National Intelligence Service estimated in February 2026 that around 6,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed or wounded in combat. A UK assessment similarly estimated that North Korean forces had suffered more than 6,000 casualties in fighting in Russia's Kursk region.

In return for its military assistance, Pyongyang is believed to have received economic support and military technology from Moscow, according to South Korean intelligence assessments.

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Seoul-Kyiv ties face new strain

Kim's message comes as relations between South Korea and Ukraine have become strained over the public disclosure of two captured North Korean soldiers.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that the two prisoners had been transferred to South Korea, prompting Seoul to protest the disclosure. South Korean officials said the transfer had been intended to remain confidential, while Kyiv has denied that there was a prior confidentiality agreement.

South Korea has provided humanitarian and other non-lethal assistance to Ukraine but has maintained restrictions on supplying lethal weapons to countries engaged in war. Zelensky has also warned that Russia could receive additional North Korean troops. Recent South Korean assessments have indicated continued preparations in North Korea for possible further deployments.