North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a series of public appearances over the weekend to mark the 72nd anniversary of the end of the Korean War, as a military march and concerts in Pyongyang celebrated the sacrifices of soldiers who fought in the conflict.

But while celebrating army “sacrifices” and emphasizing his “anti-U.S.” education policy, state media toned down related coverage and ignored recent soldier deaths in Russia, in a sign of continuing sensitivity over the decision to deploy DPRK troops to a foreign war.