North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov inaugurated a memorial and museum in Pyongyang dedicated to North Korean soldiers who died fighting in the Ukraine war. The ceremony featured a flyover by military jets and the release of white balloons into the air.

While exact numbers remain unconfirmed, South Korean intelligence estimates that at least 15,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to assist Russia, primarily in the Kursk region. Seoul also believes around 2,000 North Koreans have been killed in the conflict. Neither Pyongyang nor Moscow has provided official casualty figures.

In exchange for troop contributions, North Korea is believed to have received food, financial aid, and technical assistance from Moscow. The opening of the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at the Overseas Military Operations coincided with what Russia calls the first anniversary of its recovery of parts of the Kursk region, which Ukraine invaded in August 2024 and Russia claims to have fully recaptured a year later.

Kim assured Belousov that North Korea "will as ever fully support the policy of the Russian Federation to defend the national sovereignty, territorial integrity and security interests," according to state media. He added that Russia will "surely win a victory in the just sacred war."

Belousov told Russian news agencies that he discussed long-term military cooperation with North Korean officials. Kim also met with Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of Russia's parliament and a close ally of President Vladimir Putin.

In June 2024, Putin and Kim signed a mutual defense treaty pledging assistance in case of "aggression" against either country, which Kim hailed as the "strongest ever." Additionally, North Korea has promised to send thousands of workers to help rebuild the Kursk region.

Source: www.bbc.com