Putin thanks Kim Jong Un for North Korean help in driving Ukrainian troops out of Kursk

Russia's President Vladimir Putin expressed his personal gratitude to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for the role of North Korean soldiers in driving Ukrainian troops out of Russia's Kursk region, the Kremlin said in a statement published on Monday.

"Our Korean friends acted based on a sense of solidarity, justice and genuine comradeship. We highly appreciate this and are sincerely grateful personally to the Chairman of State Affairs Comrade Kim Jong Un, the entire leadership and people of the DPRK," the statement said, referring to North Korea by the initials of its formal name.

North Korea confirmed for the first time on Monday that it had sent troops to fight for Russia in the war in Ukraine under orders from Kim and that it had helped regain control of Russian territory occupied by Ukraine.