North Korea has confirmed a policy of requiring soldiers to commit suicide on the battlefield to avoid capture while fighting in Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to NK News analysis of state media Friday.

The revelation came in a two-hour program on ceremonies and concerts held Thursday in Pyongyang aimed at commemorating dead soldiers and boosting obedience to leader Kim Jong Un’s orders.

The program prioritized celebrating North Korea and Russia’s “victory” over Ukraine in a positive light while keeping the focus on Kim’s leadership and role planning and executing the war, even confirming for the first time that soldiers