Memorial Museum Honoring North Korean Soldiers Killed in Russia-Ukraine War Opened

NORTH KOREA – A memorial museum honoring North Korean soldiers killed in Russia-Ukraine war was opened by Kim Jong Un on Sunday in Pyongyang.

The opening ceremony for the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at the Overseas Military Operations was on the occasion of the first anniversary of the liberation of the Kursk region from Ukrainian forces, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

The ceremony held to mark Russia’s recapture on April 26, 2025 of the front-line Kursk region from Ukraine was attended by key officials from North Korea and Russia, including Russia’s parliamentary speaker Vyacheslav Volodin and Defense Minister Andrey Belousov.

Speaking at the ceremony, Kim said the memorial museum represents North Korea and Russia’s commitment to bolstering bilateral ties, which were forged in “blood.”

“No matter how the rules of war change and whenever and wherever a crisis occurs, we should be strengthened into a sincere, dedicated and powerful bulwark with unified power,” he was quoted as saying.

He added that North Korea and Russia have “deterred the revival of fascism and crushed war ambitions of hegemonic forces by fighting shoulder to shoulder to defend peace and sovereignty.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a letter, said the memorial will “undoubtedly be a clear symbol of friendship” between the two countries.

“I am convinced that we will continue to strengthen the strategic comprehensive partnership between the Russian Federation and the DPRK by joint efforts,” Putin said, using the acronym for North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Over the past decade, Russia and North Korea have developed a comprehensive strategic partnership formalized by a treaty in 2024.

The two countries pledged mutual military support if either comes under attack by a third party.

In August 2025, North Korea sent around 1,000 military engineers to Russia’s Kursk region to assist Russian forces in clearing land mines planted during fighting with Ukrainian troops.

The deployment followed an earlier dispatch of an estimated 15,000 combat troops to support Russia’s war effort, according to South Korea’s spy agency, which claims that North Korea lost 2,000 troops in the war.