North Korea inaugurates memorial for troops killed in Ukraine
SEOUL, April 27 (UPI) -- North Korea held an inauguration ceremony for a memorial museum honoring troops dispatched to fight for Russia in Ukraine, state media reported Monday, with leader Kim Jong Un pledging continued support for Moscow in its "sacred war."
The ceremony took place Sunday at the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at the Overseas Military Operations in Pyongyang, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said.
The event marked the first anniversary of what Pyongyang called the "liberation of Kursk," referring to Russia's battlefield gains in the war. North Korea declared Russia's recapture of the region on April 26 last year.
North Korea has deepened military ties with Russia since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Pyongyang has shipped thousands of containers of munitions and deployed about 15,000 troops to assist Russian forces in the Kursk region, South Korea's National Intelligence Service has said, estimating that roughly 2,000 of those troops had been killed.
In a speech at the ceremony, Kim highlighted the "strategic significance" of the operations in Kursk and described the North Korean soldiers' actions as "without parallel in history."
"No matter how the rules of war change or when and where a crisis arises, we must always be strengthened as a sincere, dedicated and powerful bulwark that deals with it with united strength," KCNA quoted Kim as saying.
Several Russian officials attended the inauguration, including State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin and Defense Minister Andrei Belousov.
Volodin read a letter from Russian President Vladimir Putin expressing gratitude for North Korean troops and praising the "militant friendship" between the two countries.
"The Korean soldiers, fighting shoulder to shoulder with the Russian comrades-in-arms, displayed their extraordinary bravery and genuine devotion and glorified themselves with immortal honor," the letter said.
After the speeches, officials cut a ribbon to formally open the complex, while white balloons were released into the sky in tribute to the fallen.
In a burial rite for repatriated remains, Kim covered a coffin with dirt as guards of honor fired a rifle salute and participants observed a moment of silence, KCNA said.
Kim also held separate meetings with Belousov and Volodin ahead of the inauguration, KCNA reported.
In talks with Kim, Belousov said the two sides had agreed to expand military cooperation on a "sustainable long-term basis," with plans to sign a cooperation roadmap covering 2027 to 2031, according to a statement posted on the Russian Defense Ministry's Telegram channel.
Kim reaffirmed that North Korea would "fully support" Russia's war in Ukraine, KCNA said, describing it as a "sacred war" to defend sovereignty.
In exchange for its military assistance, Pyongyang is believed to be receiving much-needed financial support and advanced military technology. A March report by South Korea's Institute for National Security Strategy estimated that North Korea may have earned up to $14.4 billion from its involvement in the war through arms sales, labor exports and related assistance.
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This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 3:02 AM.