North Korea opens museum honoring soldiers killed fighting Russia's war against Ukraine

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details.

North Korea opened a museum and memorial complex honoring its soldiers who fought alongside Russian forces in the war against Ukraine, Russian state-controlled media outlet TASS reported on April 26.

The opening coincided with the arrival of Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov in Pyongyang, marking the second visit by a senior Russian official to North Korea in recent days as Moscow and Pyongyang deepen military and diplomatic ties.

During the visit, Belousov awarded medals to North Korean soldiers who carried out missions in Russia's Kursk Oblast, according to Russia's Defense Ministry.

He also took part in ceremonial events for the opening of the museum and memorial dedicated to what Moscow described as the "heroic deeds" of North Korean soldiers in Ukraine and Kursk.

The memorial reportedly bears the names of both Russian and North Korean servicemen killed while fighting against Ukrainian troops.

Around 12,000 North Korean troops participated in a 2024 counteroffensive aimed at pushing Ukrainian forces out of Kursk Oblast. South Korean media reported in February that about 11,000 North Korean troops remain stationed there.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a message to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to mark the opening of the memorial, the Kremlin said.

Putin thanked Kim and North Korean forces for helping repel the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast and said he was confident bilateral ties would continue to strengthen.

North Korean state media earlier reported that Vyacheslav Volodin, chair of Russia's State Duma and a close ally of Putin, also traveled to Pyongyang to attend the memorial's opening.

The visits come as Moscow and Pyongyang expand cooperation following a June 2024 summit between Putin and Kim, where the two leaders signed a comprehensive strategic treaty that includes a mutual defense pact.

Relations have grown rapidly since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, as Moscow — increasingly isolated from the broader international community — has sought closer ties with Pyongyang.

In addition to military cooperation, North Korea — along with China and Iran — has been involved in economic activities in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine.

The developments underscore the deepening alignment between Russia and North Korea, both of which face international sanctions and political isolation.