North Korean troops take part in Russia’s Victory Day parade for first time
Annual parade commemorates Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany
North Korean soldiers have marched through Moscow’s Red Square for the first time as part of scaled-back celebrations for Victory Day.
The troops were hailed for their “mass heroism, selflessness and courage” by the annual parade’s official announcer, noting their significant contribution to expelling “neo-Nazi invaders” in Ukraine.
North Korean servicemen march through Moscow’s Red Square on Saturday morning Credit: Shutterstock
Around 14,000 servicemen from Pyongyang have been dispatched to fight for Russia in its Kursk region, with 6,000 of them believed to have been killed.
Kim Jong Un was not present at the parade. Nor were the leaders of China or Iran, whose informal alliance with the Kremlin has been referred to as a “new axis of evil”.
The Victory Day parade, which commemorates the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany, was noticeably more modest than previous years and did not feature any military hardware.
The whole event was over in just 45 minutes and Vladimir Putin only spoke for 10 minutes.
Nonetheless, the Russian leader hailed his country’s achievements on the battlefield in Ukraine, struck out at Nato and said victory was forged “both on the battlefield and in the rear”.
“Victory has always been and always will be ours,” Putin added.
[Source: Daily Telegraph]
