Kim Says North Korean Troops Killed Themselves To Avoid Capture By Ukraine

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has hailed troops who opted to blow themselves up rather than be captured by Ukrainian forces, confirming previous Ukrainian reports. North Korean troops were first reported in Russia in October 2024—an initial 1,500 special forces personnel arriving in the far eastern city of Vladivostok before deploying to join Russian forces in their fight to contain a surprise Ukrainian counteroffensive in the Russian border region of Kursk. At least 15,000 North Koreans were sent to Russia, according to South Korean estimates, with over 6,000 killed. Neither Pyongyang nor Moscow have confirmed these figures. The deployments…