--- title: "Kim Jong Un tells Putin he is proud of North Korea-Russia ties as Ukraine accuses missile use" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/kim-jong-un-tells-putin-he-is-proud-of-north-korea-russia-ties-as-ukraine-accuse" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/kim-jong-un-tells-putin-he-is-proud-of-north-korea-russia-ties-as-ukraine-accuse" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/kim-jong-un-tells-putin-he-is-proud-of-north-korea-russia-ties-as-ukraine-accuse.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/kim-jong-un-tells-putin-he-is-proud-of-north-korea-russia-ties-as-ukraine-accuse" category: "Conflict & Security" area: "Middle East" published: "2026-08-16T03:25:24.549Z" source_reported: "2026-08-16T02:48:14.000Z" updated: "2026-08-16T03:25:24.549Z" trust_score: 82 critic_score: 68 hype_score: 20 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-16T03:15:15.380328+00:00" --- # Kim Jong Un tells Putin he is proud of North Korea-Russia ties as Ukraine accuses missile use *State media reports exchange of letters on Korean Liberation Day, with Kyiv alleging North Korean ballistic missiles killed nine in Ukraine* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 82 of 100, higher is better. Two full reports from centre-rated outlets. - Craft 68 of 100, higher is better. Lack of direct quotes from other sources. - Hype 20 of 100, lower is better. Measured language in headlines. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Kim Jong Un told Vladimir Putin in a letter that he was 'proud' of their countries’ strong ties, as reported by North Korean state media on 15 August 2026. - Russia and North Korea described their relationship as a 'comprehensive strategic partnership', with Putin calling it 'unprecedentedly high'. - Ukraine accused Russia of launching North Korean ballistic missiles in a strike that killed at least nine people and wounded dozens earlier in August 2026. - Kyiv claimed up to 50,000 North Korean troops may deploy to Russia, but provided no evidence or timeframe for the deployment. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told Russian President Vladimir Putin he was 'proud' of the strong ties between their countries, according to state media reports published on 15 August 2026. The exchange of letters coincided with Korea’s Liberation Day, marking the end of Japanese colonial rule in 1945. Kim’s message, carried by the Korean Central News Agency, said he was 'always proud' of the bilateral relationship and expected it to grow under Putin’s leadership. Putin, in his letter to Kim, described relations between Russia and North Korea as reaching an 'unprecedentedly high level of comprehensive strategic partnership'. He said the two countries were cooperating across all sectors to ensure regional security and stability. The letters followed reports that North Korea had provided military support to Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, including the deployment of troops in exchange for economic benefits and military technology. Ukraine accused Russia of using North Korean ballistic missiles in a strike earlier in August 2026 that killed at least nine people and wounded dozens. Kyiv also claimed that up to 50,000 North Korean troops were due to deploy to Russia, though it provided no evidence to support the figure or a timeframe for the deployment. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky used the claim to urge South Korea to supply air defence systems, a request that remained unanswered. ## What the coverage left out No left-rated outlet ran this story at all. None of the right-rated digests mentioned the lack of evidence or timeframe for Ukraine’s claim that 50,000 North Korean troops may deploy to Russia. The Straits Times and thairath.co.th did not report Ukraine’s accusation that North Korean ballistic missiles were used in the strike that killed nine people. ## Who covered it Shares of the 6 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (0) - Centre: 50% (3) - Right: 50% (3) 1 of 7 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-16T03:15:15.380328+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 1 time; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-16T03:30:08.450Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre - The three centre-rated reports, CTV News, Hindustan Times and WTVB, led on the exchange of letters between Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin. All three carried the full text of Kim’s statement that he was 'proud' of the bilateral relationship and his belief that Russia would defend its 'territorial integrity' under Putin’s leadership. They also included Putin’s description of the relationship as a 'comprehensive strategic partnership'. - CTV News and Hindustan Times, which published full reports, quoted Kim’s letter verbatim: 'I am always proud to be able to expect more excellent future of the bilateral relations by leading, together with you, the DPRK-Russia ties that has carried forward the history of common struggle.' Both outlets also reported Ukraine’s accusation that Russia had used North Korean ballistic missiles in a strike that killed nine people, and Kyiv’s claim of 50,000 North Korean troops potentially deploying to Russia. WTVB’s digest included the same details but did not quote Kim’s letter directly. ### Right - The three right-rated digests, from thairath.co.th, The Straits Times and Times of India, led on the reaffirmation of strong ties between Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin. All three mentioned that North Korea had provided military support to Russia in its war against Ukraine. The Straits Times and Times of India included Putin’s description of the relationship as a 'comprehensive strategic partnership'. - The Times of India’s digest was the only right-rated report to mention Ukraine’s accusation that Russia had used North Korean ballistic missiles in a strike that killed nine people. It also noted Kyiv’s claim of 50,000 North Korean troops potentially deploying to Russia. Thairath.co.th and The Straits Times did not include either detail in their digests. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 3 - high: 3 - unknown: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [thairath.co.th](https://thairath.co.th/news/foreign/2953083) — Kim Jong-UN and Putin Reaffirmed Their Strong Relationship on Korean Independence Day. - [The Straits Times](https://straitstimes.com/asia/north-koreas-kim-tells-putin-he-is-proud-of-strong-ties-state-media) — North Korea’s Kim tells Putin he is ‘proud’ of strong ties: State media - [CTV News](https://ctvnews.ca/world/article/north-koreas-kim-tells-putin-he-is-proud-of-strong-ties-state-media) — North Korea’s Kim tells Putin he is ‘proud’ of strong ties: state media - [Times of India](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/north-koreas-kim-tells-putin-he-is-proud-of-strong-ties-state-media-reports/articleshow/133268660.cms) — North Korea's Kim tells Putin he is 'proud' of strong ties, state media reports - [Hindustan Times](https://hindustantimes.com/world-news/north-korea-s-kim-tells-putin-he-is-proud-of-strong-ties-state-media-101786841454892.html) — North Korea's Kim tells Putin he is 'proud' of strong ties: state media - [Jordan News | Latest News from Jordan, MENA](https://jordannews.jo/Section-24/Europe/Putin-Our-Strategic-Partnership-with-North-Korea-Has-Reached-an-Unprecedented-Level-54288) — Putin: Our Strategic Partnership with North Korea Has Reached an Unprecedented Level - [WTVB](https://wtvbam.com/2026/08/15/north-koreas-kim-russias-putin-reaffirm-ties-on-korean-liberation-day) — North Korea’s Kim, Russia’s Putin reaffirm ties on Korean Liberation Day ## Questions **What did Kim Jong Un say to Vladimir Putin in his letter?** Kim Jong Un told Putin he was 'proud' of their countries’ strong ties and expected the relationship to grow under Putin’s leadership. He also expressed a 'firm belief' that Russia would defend its 'territorial integrity', as reported by North Korean state media on 15 August 2026. **Did Ukraine provide evidence for its claim about North Korean troops?** No. Ukraine claimed up to 50,000 North Korean troops may deploy to Russia but provided no evidence to support the figure or a timeframe for the deployment. The claim was reported by CTV News and Hindustan Times on 15 August 2026. **Which outlets reported Ukraine’s accusation about North Korean missiles?** CTV News, Hindustan Times and the Times of India reported Ukraine’s accusation that Russia used North Korean ballistic missiles in a strike that killed nine people. The Straits Times and thairath.co.th did not mention the accusation in their digests. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/conflict/kim-jong-un-tells-putin-he-is-proud-of-north-korea-russia-ties-as-ukraine-accuse. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Kim Jong Un tells Putin he is proud of North Korea-Russia ties as Ukraine accuses missile use", https://mediabias.news/conflict/kim-jong-un-tells-putin-he-is-proud-of-north-korea-russia-ties-as-ukraine-accuse