Moscow, April 28 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed gratitude to North Korea for helping Russian forces defeat a group of Ukrainian fighters in the Kursk Region. He praised North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and commended Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) soldiers for their "heroism, excellent training and dedication" during the fighting.

In a statement released by Kremlin on Monday, Putin said, "On April 26, 2025, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation finally defeated the group of Ukrainian militants that invaded the Kursk Region, putting an end to the criminal provocation perpetrated by the Ukrainian authorities in an attempt to seize part of the Russian Federation territory."

The statement added, "Units of the...