Kim Jong Un Inaugurates Memorial Museum for North Korean Soldiers Killed in Ukraine Conflict

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended the opening of a memorial museum in Pyongyang on Sunday, dedicated to soldiers from his country who died while deployed in support of Russia's military operations in Ukraine, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The event coincided with the first anniversary of Russia's recapture of the Kursk region, which Ukrainian forces had partially occupied in 2024. Kim was joined by Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov and State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin, with the ceremony including military displays such as jets flying overhead and balloons released near graves of fallen soldiers.

In a speech reported by KCNA, Kim stated that North Korean troops followed a policy of avoiding capture, with some choosing "self-blasting" or "suicide attack" to protect the country's honor.

South Korean intelligence, as cited in reports from The Independent and BBC News, estimates that approximately 15,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia for combat roles, including in the Kursk region, with around 2,000 fatalities. Ukrainian officials have claimed that up to 30,000 North Korean troops could be deployed, though no official figures have been released by Russia or North Korea.

The presence of North Korean forces in Russia was first reported in October 2024.

According to a Ukrainian military source quoted by The Independent's Sam Kiley, two North Korean soldiers have been captured alive, including one wounded in Kursk who attempted to bite his wrists to avoid imprisonment. The Independent reported in January 2025 that North Korean troops were instructed to take extreme measures to prevent capture.

Kim told Belousov, per KCNA, that North Korea would "fully support" Russia's efforts to defend its "national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security interests," predicting a Russian victory in the "just sacred war." Belousov discussed potential long-term military cooperation, including a possible agreement for 2027-2031, according to sources including France 24 and ZeroHedge.

The Russia-North Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty, signed in 2024, includes a mutual defense clause requiring immediate military aid in case of aggression. In exchange for troops, North Korea has received food, financial aid, and technical assistance from Russia, with additional commitments to send workers for reconstruction in Kursk, as noted in BBC News and ZeroHedge reports.

" In September 2025, during a meeting in Beijing, Putin thanked Kim for the support, describing North Korean soldiers as having fought "courageously and heroically," according to France 24.

North Korea conducted at least seven ballistic missile tests in 2026, including the Hwasong-11 (also known as KN-23 or KN-24), which Ukraine claims has been supplied to Russia for use in the war, per BBC News. The International Atomic Energy Agency's director general, Rafael Grossi, stated last week that the agency observed a "rapid increase in activities" at North Korean nuclear facilities, as reported in ZeroHedge.

Separately, on April 27, 2026, Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov met with Iran's Deputy Defence Minister Reza Talaei-Nik in Kyrgyzstan, where Belousov advocated for a diplomatic resolution to conflicts involving Iran and affirmed continued mutual support between Moscow and Tehran, according to TASS news agency cited in Al-Monitor.

No public comments on the memorial event or troop policies have been issued by the U.S. government as of the latest reports in the source bundle. Ukraine's foreign ministry has not provided additional statements on North Korean troop captures beyond the estimates mentioned.