Russia's Communist chief hails N. Korean troops in war against Ukraine

Russian Communist's Party Leader Gennady Zyuganov gestures as he addresses a Russian Communist's Party congress in Rozhdestveno village, outside Moscow, Russia, July 5. AP-Yonhap

The leader of Russia's Communist Party has hailed North Korean troops deployed in Moscow's war against Ukraine in a letter sent to the North's leader Kim Jong-un, according to the North's state media Sunday.

North Korea and Russia have displayed signs of solid military cooperation in recent days in the wake of the 80th anniversary of the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japanese colonial rule, with Russian President Vladimir Putin sending a letter to Kim that bilateral relations have reached "full bloom."

Gennady Andreyevich Zyuganov, chairman of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation's Central Committee, sent his letter to Kim to mark the anniversary, according to the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

In the letter, Zyuganov said he has highly taken note of North Korea's support for Russia's war against Ukraine, stating the war has made their bilateral ties "more bound together."

Zyuganov also thanked Kim for sending North Korean troops to fight in the Kursk front-line region, saying the North's troops helped Russia "liberate" the area, according to the KCNA.

Days before U.S. President Donald Trump and Putin held a summit in Alaska, the Russian leader briefed Kim on his planned meeting with Trump during a phone call.

Their call was yet another sign that Pyongyang and Moscow have been maintaining close military and diplomatic cooperation in line with the "comprehensive strategic partnership" treaty that the leaders signed during a summit in Pyongyang in June last year.