Russian soldiers wounded in the war in Ukraine undergo treatment and rehabilitation in North Korea, Alexander Matsegora, Russia's ambassador to North Korea, said in an interview with the Russian state-controlled media outlet Rossiyskaya Gazeta published on Feb. 9.
North Korea and Russia have significantly strengthened their relations over the past three years, particularly in the context of geopolitical alignment against Western nations, posing significant challenges to international stability.
In the fall of 2024, Russia and North Korea ratified a strategic partnership agreement which includes the development of trade, scientific, technical, and defense cooperation. However, the agreement did not mention the treatment of wounded Russian soldiers.
Treatment for the Russian military in North Korea is provided free of charge in "the best hospitals and sanatoriums," Matsegora said. The ambassador added that "hundreds" of wounded had been sent to North Korea.
"When we offered to compensate our (North Korean) friends for at least part of their expenses, they were sincerely offended and asked us never to do it again," Matsegora said.
According to Matsegora, the children of Russian service members killed in Ukraine are vacationing in North Korea, and the two countries are developing university student exchanges.
The ambassador added that Russia also supplies North Korea with coal, food, and medicine.
Military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang also deepened in 2024, with Russian President Vladimir Putin signing a mutual defense pact with Kim in June.
Soon after, North Korea escalated its involvement in Russia's war from providing weapons — including artillery ammunition and ballistic missiles — to sending soldiers.
Up to 12,000 North Korean troops were deployed in Russia's Kursk Oblast last fall to support Russian troops in countering a Ukrainian incursion in the region.
Tim Mak
