The Washington Post has obtained and released a handwritten message from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to the North Korean troops in Russia. 

In the letter, released Sunday, Kim shared his New Year’s wishes and thanked the troops for fighting on behalf of their motherland.
 
Kim reportedly addressed the soldiers as “comrades,” saying he missed them and was praying for them to come back healthy and safe. 

He also said he hoped all the soldiers would stay healthy and fight courageously until the day they triumphantly fulfill their assigned military mission.

Kim’s name and the date, December 31, appeared at the end of the letter. 

The Post said the letter was found in Russia’s Kursk region, where Russia and Ukraine have engaged in fierce battles recently.