North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has paid an emotional tribute to soldiers who have died fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine, saying his ‘heart aches’ in a rare admission of military losses.

State-controlled Korean Central News Agency said Kim awarded state "hero" titles to commanders and soldiers who returned after fighting alongside Russian forces in the Kursk border region. View on eur

More than a dozen of North Korea’s top military officers are returning home from Russia, suggesting Pyongyang’s contribution to the war in Ukraine could take a back seat during the ongoing peace talks,