Russian Duma Praises North Korea for Backing Troops in Kursk

Moscow acknowledged Pyongyang’s military assistance after North Korean troops were deployed to counter Ukrainian operations in western Russia. Make us preferred on Google Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied This picture taken on December 12, 2025 and released from North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on December 13 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un welcoming soldiers from the Korean People’s Army’s 528th Regiment of Engineers, which returned from an overseas deployment in Russia’s Kursk region during Moscow’s war with Ukraine, in front of the April 25 House of Culture in Pyongyang. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google Russia’s State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin thanked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for what he described as Pyongyang’s role in the “liberation of Kursk ,” following the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia’s southwestern region. Volodin made the remarks during a visit to Pyongyang on Sunday , where a Russian delegation attended the opening of a memorial complex honoring those killed while supporting Russia’s military operations related to the war in Ukraine , AFP reported. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . North Korea has reportedly sent thousands of soldiers, along with missiles, to support Russia’s war effort. The troops were deployed to the Kursk region to counter a months‑long Ukrainian counteroffensive . “Let me express words of gratitude to you, esteemed Comrade Kim Jong Un, and to the Korean people for their fraternal support in the liberation of Kursk,” Volodin said. “Korean soldiers fought shoulder to shoulder with our soldiers and officers, liberating Russian soil from the Ukrainian Nazis,” he added, using language commonly employed by Russian officials to characterize Ukrainian forces and justify the full-scale invasion. Analysts say Russia’s deepening military cooperation with North Korea has enabled Pyongyang to receive financial assistance, military technology , food, and energy supplies, helping it mitigate the effects of international sanctions imposed over its nuclear weapons program. Other Topics of Interest Drone Strike Near Zaporizhzhia NPP Leaves One Dead, IAEA Launches Probe A drone strike near the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant killed a worker, the IAEA said. The agency is investigating amid renewed safety concerns. During Sunday’s meeting , Kim Jong Un also spoke with Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov and expressed “belief that the Russian army and people would surely win a victory in the just sacred war”, Korean Central News Agency reported. Both sides said their delegations had discussed deeper military ties, with Moscow ready to sign a cooperation plan covering the period from 2027 to 2031. An estimated 2,000 North Koreans have been killed in the Ukraine war with most troops being instructed to kill themselves rather than be captured in battle. T wo North Korean soldiers are currently in custody of Ukrainian authorities. Veronika Sukhanych is a political analyst with a foundation in governance, legal research, and international policy. Kyiv-born and educated in comparative politics, her background includes research on global financial institutions, responsible AI governance, and security policy.