acknowledgement by Pyongyang of the deadly tasks assigned to its deployed soldiers. North Korea has sent thousands of troops to support Russia's nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine, according to South Korean and Western intelligence agencies.

Analysts say Russia is giving North Korea financial aid, military technology, food and energy supplies in return, allowing the diplomatically isolated nation to sidestep tough international sanctions on its nuclear and missile programmes. Hailing the return of an engineering regiment, Kim noted that they wrote "letters to their hometowns and villages at breaks of the mine-clearing hours", according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Nine members of the regiment died during the 120-day deployment that started in August, Kim said in his speech at a welcome ceremony on Friday, KCNA reported. He awarded the deceased state honours to "add eternal lustre" to their bravery. "All of you, both officers and soldiers, displayed mass heroism overcoming unimaginable mental and physical burdens almost every day," Kim said. The troops had been able to "work a miracle of turning a vast area of danger zone into a safe and secure one in a matter of less than three months".

Images released by KCNA showed a smiling Kim embracing returned soldiers, some of whom appeared injured and in wheelchairs, at the ceremony in Pyongyang on Friday. One of them looked visibly emotional as Kim held his head and hand while he sat in a wheelchair in a military uniform. Other images showed Kim consoling families of the deceased and kneeling before a portrait of a fallen soldier to pay his respects, placing what appeared to be medals and flowers beside images of the dead. (Bssnews)