Kim Jong Un Praises North Korean Troops for Self-Blasting to Avoid Capture in Ukraine

Gate News message, April 28 — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has praised his troops for choosing “self-blasting” and suicide attacks to avoid capture while fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. The dictator made the comments during the opening of a memorial museum in Pyongyang dedicated to North Korean soldiers killed in the conflict, according to state-run KCNA. Kim hailed the “extraordinary heroism” of troops who “unhesitatingly opted for self-blasting, suicide attack” and claimed his soldiers chose “self-sacrifice” to protect the country’s honor.

North Korea has deployed approximately 15,000 troops to support Russia’s invasion, with nearly 2,000 already killed and only two soldiers captured alive. In 2026 alone, North Korea has launched at least seven ballistic missiles, including the Hwasong-11. UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi warned last week of a “rapid increase” in activity at North Korea’s nuclear sites.

Kim was joined at the ceremony by Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov. The two nations are planning to expand military cooperation through 2031, with Kim describing the alliance as “a new history of friendship with Russia written in blood.”