North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended a welcoming ceremony for an army engineering unit that had returned home after carrying out duties in Russia, the North's state-run television KRT reported on Saturday (December 13).

In a speech carried by North Korea’s official news agency KCNA, Kim praised officers and soldiers of the 528th Regiment of Engineers of the Korean People's Army (KPA) for "heroic" conduct and "mass heroism" in fulfilling orders issued by the ruling Workers' Party of Korea during a 120-day overseas deployment.

Video footage released by North Korea showed uniformed soldiers disembarking from an aircraft, Kim hugging a soldier seated in a wheelchair, and soldiers and officials gathered to welcome the troops.

KCNA said the unit had been dispatched in early August and carried out combat and engineering tasks in the Kursk region of Russia during Moscow's war with Ukraine.

Last month, Russia's Defence Ministry said North Korean troops who helped Russia repel a major Ukrainian incursion into its western Kursk region are now playing an important role in clearing the area of mines.

Under a mutual defense pact between the two countries, North Korea last year sent some 14,000 soldiers to fight alongside Russia in Kursk, and more than 6,000 were killed, according to South Korean, Ukrainian and Western sources.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREA (RELEASED DECEMBER 13, 2025) (KRT - No use North Korea)

1. NORTH KOREAN SOLDIERS ARRIVING / RUSSIAN FLAG ON PLANE

2. SOLDIER SALUTING AND HUGGING WITH MILITARY OFFICIAL

3. VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS MARCHING ON PYONGYANG STREET

4. NORTH KOREAN RESIDENTS CLAPPING

5. SOLDIERS MARCHING AND RESIDENTS CLAPPING

6. RESIDENTS WAVING NORTH KOREAN FLAG AND FLOWERS

7. PEOPLE GATHERING AT APRIL 25 HOUSE OF CULTURE FOR WELCOMING CEREMONY

8. NORTH KOREAN LEADER KIM JONG UN WALKING DOWNSTAIRS

9. SOLDIERS SALUTING

10. SOLDIERS SITTING ON WHEELCHAIR SALUTING

11. KIM CLAPPING

12. PEOPLE GATHERING AT WELCOMING CEREMONY

13. MILITARY OFFICIAL SALUTING AND SPEAKING

14. KIM SAYING (Korean): “CONGRATULATIONS ON THE PROUD ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUR TROOPS.” / KIM CLAPPING

15. VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS SALUTING

16. VARIOUS OF KIM SPEAKING

17. SOLDIERS CRYING

18. SOLDIERS HOLDING RIFLES STANDING

19. VARIOUS OF KIM SPEAKING AT PODIUM

20. SOLDIERS CLAPPING

21. KIM LOOKING AT FLAG

22. KIM SALUTING TO FLAG

23. VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS MARCHING

24. KIM SALUTING

25. KIM WALKING DOWNSTAIRS

26. KIM SHAKING HANDS WITH MILITARY OFFICER

27. VARIOUS OF KIM SHAKING HANDS WITH SOLDIERS

28. VARIOUS OF KIM HUGGING WITH SOLDIERS ON WHEELCHAIR

29. RESIDENTS CLAPPING

30. KIM TALKING GROUP PHOTOGRAPH WITH SOLDIERS

31. VARIOUS OF KIM WALKING TOWARD KIM WALKING TOWARD MEMORIAL HALL

32. KIM PUTTING MEDAL ON WALL

33. KIM OFFERING FLOWER TOWARD MEMORIAL HALL

34. KIM HUGGING FAMILY MEMBERS OF SOLDIERS

35. PERFORMANCE IN PROGRESS

36. KIM SMILING AND SOLDIERS WATCHING PERFORMANCE

37. VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS PERFORMING ON STAGE

38. SOLDIERS CLAPPING

39. SINGERS SINGING ON STAGE

40. KIM AND SOLDIERS WATCHING PERFORMANCE

41. SOLDIERS WATCHING PERFORMANCE

42. PERFORMANCE IN PROGRESS

43. VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS AT BANQUET

44. MEMBER OF THE PRESIDIUM OF THE POLITICAL BUREAU OF CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF WORKERS' PARTY OF KOREA, JO YONG WON, GIVING DRINK TO SOLDIER

45. VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS AND FAMILY MEMBERS AT BANQUET