North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wished President Vladimir Putin “victory and glory” on his 74th birthday Wednesday, pledging to deepen ties as Pyongyang continues to support Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“My dearest friend, Comrade Vladimir Putin, please accept my most heartfelt and warm congratulations and best wishes on the occasion of your birthday,” Kim wrote in a telegram published by North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency.
Kim praised Putin’s “outstanding and skillful leadership,” saying Russia had strengthened its standing as a world power over the past two decades. He also claimed that Putin enjoyed the Russian people’s “great trust and support.”
Russia would “certainly achieve victory in its just and sacred war” and defend its sovereignty, security interests and territorial integrity, Kim said.
The North Korean leader pledged to keep expanding the countries’ comprehensive strategic partnership, describing Russia as a “brotherly” nation.
Moscow has deepened cooperation with Pyongyang since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
According to South Korean military intelligence, North Korea has supplied Russia with more than 12 million artillery rounds and ballistic missiles. It has also sent around 13,000 troops to Russia’s Kursk region, of whom about 2,300 have been killed, the intelligence service estimates.
Bloomberg Economics estimates that North Korea has earned over $14 billion from military support for Russia since 2022, including $849 million from sending troops.
Ukrainian officials have warned that Pyongyang plans to expand its military presence in Russia.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has said North Korea intends to deploy between 30,000 and 50,000 troops. Ukrainian intelligence previously reported plans to send a missile unit with six launchers and around 120 missiles to southern Russia’s Voronezh region.
Kyiv has also said North Korea supplied Russia with 40 KN-23 and KN-24 short-range ballistic missiles in 2026. Zelensky said in late July that Russian forces were already using them to strike Ukraine.
This article was translated with the help of artificial intelligence and was reviewed by a Moscow Times editor before publication. Learn more about our newsroom’s AI policy here.
Read this article in Russian at The Moscow Times’ Russian service.
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