Two senior Russian officials traveled to Pyongyang over the weekend to inaugurate a memorial for North Korean troops who died fighting in Ukraine and to negotiate a new defense cooperation plan extending through 2031.
The visit highlights deepening military, political and economic ties between Moscow and Pyongyang since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. North Korea has provided military assistance that observers say has supported Russian operations, including near the border region of Kursk. Moscow and Pyongyang also concluded a mutual defense treaty in 2024 after a June meeting between Kim Jong Un and President Vladimir Putin.
Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov held talks with Kim Jong Un, senior officials and top military leaders. State media released images showing Belousov embracing Kim. Belousov said the two sides had agreed “to place our military cooperation on a stable, long-term footing” and that they were “ready to sign a plan this year for Russian-Korean military cooperation for the period of 2027-2031.” North Korea’s defense minister, No Kwang, took part in the discussions.
Belousov presented military awards to North Korean servicemen reportedly deployed alongside Russian forces in the Kursk area. North Korea has built a memorial in Pyongyang honoring its soldiers killed in the conflict; President Putin sent Kim a telegram thanking him and the fallen for their role in efforts to reclaim parts of the Kursk region for Russia.
Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of Russia’s State Duma, attended the memorial inauguration. Russian and North Korean parliamentary figures, including Jo Yong Won, held talks at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun during the visit.
Independent verification of North Korean troop deployments and casualties remains limited. South Korean officials estimated in September that as many as 2,000 North Koreans may have been killed while fighting for Russia, although only two North Korean soldiers have been reported captured by Ukrainian forces.
Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko