North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presided over a national commendation ceremony in Pyongyang on 21–22 Aug. honoring commanders and soldiers who fought alongside Russian forces in Ukraine’s Kursk region. State media said he conferred the title of “Hero of the Republic” and other decorations, calling the returnees “great heroes and patriots,” while medals were placed beside portraits of the war dead. It is the first time Pyongyang has formally decorated troops for combat operations abroad, publicly acknowledging its role in the conflict. Yonhap News Agency counted 101 portraits on a memorial wall for the fallen. South Korea’s National Intelligence Service estimates North Korea has deployed about 15,000 personnel since October 2024, with roughly 600 killed and more than 4,000 wounded. Korean Central Television broadcast previously unseen footage of a Russian Il-76 cargo plane (tail number RF-78661) delivering 20 flag-draped coffins to Pyongyang on 1 Aug., underscoring ongoing repatriation of remains. During the ceremony Kim Jong Un embraced tearful soldiers and bereaved relatives and urged the Korean People’s Army to maintain “overwhelming” readiness, hinting at further overseas missions. The event underscores the growing military partnership between Pyongyang and Moscow. Ukrainian and South Korean officials say Russia has been supplying missile and drone technologies in return for North Korean manpower and munitions, expanding the isolated state’s combat experience and raising regional security concerns.