Russian defense minister visits Pyongyang, honors North Korean soldiers
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Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov arrived in North Korea on April 26, Russia's Defense Ministry said, marking the second visit by a senior Russian official to Pyongyang in recent days as the two countries continue expanding military and diplomatic ties.
Earlier, North Korean state media reported that Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of Russia's State Duma and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, also traveled to Pyongyang to attend the opening of a memorial honoring North Korean troops who died while fighting in the war in Ukraine.
During his visit, Belousov awarded medals to North Korean soldiers who carried out missions in Russia's Kursk Oblast, according to the Defense Ministry. He also took part in ceremonial events, including the opening of a museum and memorial complex in Pyongyang dedicated to what Russia describes as the "heroic deeds" of North Korean soldiers in Ukraine and Kursk.
Separately, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a message to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to mark the memorial's opening, the Kremlin said. In the message, Putin thanked Kim and North Korean forces for assisting Russia in repelling a Ukrainian incursion into the Kursk region and said he was confident bilateral ties would continue to strengthen.
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.
North Korea has played a significant role in supporting Russia's war effort. Approximately 12,000 North Korean troops took part in a 2024 counteroffensive aimed at pushing Ukrainian forces out of the Kursk region. South Korean media reported in February that about 11,000 North Korean troops remain stationed there.
In addition to military cooperation, North Korea — along with China and Iran — has been involved in economic activities in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, according to a March report by the Eastern Human Rights Group and the Institute for Strategic Research and Security.
The developments underscore the deepening alignment between Russia and North Korea, both of which face international sanctions and political isolation.
