North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has paid an emotional tribute to soldiers who have died fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine, saying his ‘heart aches’ in a rare admission of military losses.

SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korean leader Kim Jong Un lauded "heroic" North Korean troops who fought for Russia in the war against Ukraine, in a ceremony decorating soldiers of the army's overseas operation,

The moves were the latest public honouring of North Korean troops who fought in Russia. KCNA said on Thursday that Kim met with officers of the army's overseas operation and paid tribute to North Korean soldiers killed in Ukraine.