Kim Jong Un opens homes for families of soldiers lost in Ukraine war PHOTO

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has inaugurated a new housing district in Pyongyang for families of soldiers killed during overseas military operations, amid Pyongyang’s ongoing support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The new neighbourhood, named Saeppyol Street, was described by Kim as “a source of honour for our generation and a pride of Pyongyang and our state,” Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The leader reportedly prayed for the “immortality of the martyrs” during the opening ceremony, which featured the display of the soldiers’ names and images.

Photographs released by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) showed Kim, accompanied by his daughter Kim Ju Ae, consoling families and visiting their newly completed homes. Kim said he had accelerated the project’s completion to provide “some small comfort” to the bereaved families.

While the North Korean report did not mention Russia, Kim last week pledged to “unconditionally support” all policies and decisions of Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to South Korean, Ukrainian and Western officials, Pyongyang sent thousands of troops to Ukraine in 2024 under a mutual defence pact with Moscow.

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service last week estimated that around 6,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded in the conflict, though it did not provide a specific death toll. The agency also warned that North Korean forces are gaining modern combat experience and technical knowledge from Russia that could improve Pyongyang’s weapons capabilities.

In addition to deploying troops, North Korea is thought to have supplied Moscow with artillery shells, missiles, and long-range rocket systems, receiving in return cash, military know-how, and food and energy shipments.

The inauguration of Saeppyol Street follows a series of recent public ceremonies to honour North Korea’s war dead, including a new memorial complex in Pyongyang featuring soldier sculptures. The rollout comes ahead of the country’s largest political event of the year – the party congress – scheduled later this month.

By Aghakazim Guliyev