Published On 4/27/2026
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un renewed on Monday his country’s support for Russia in its war on Ukraine, pledging to help Moscow achieve victory in its “sacred” war, as he put it.
Korean support for Russia did not stop at the limits of moral support and political speeches, but rather turned into direct military and field involvement in the conflict, as it supplied Russian forces with missiles, ammunition, and thousands of soldiers to support them in their fight against Ukraine.
In return, Russia sends financial, technological, military and food aid to the isolated nuclear state.
Intensive visits
Recent days have witnessed visits by a number of high-level Russian officials to North Korea, including Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, who met with Kim yesterday, Sunday, according to official statements.
North Korea’s KCNA news agency reported that Kim told Belousov, “North Korea will, as always, support the Russian Federation’s policy of defending national sovereignty, territorial integrity and security interests.”
Kim expressed his confidence that “the Russian army and people will inevitably achieve victory in this holy and just war,” according to KCNA.
Military coordination
The two sides announced that their delegations discussed strengthening military relations, as Belousov stated that Moscow is ready to sign a cooperation plan covering the period from 2027 to 2031.
In 2024, North Korea and Russia signed a military treaty, obligating the two countries to provide military assistance “without delay” to the other party if it is attacked.
The opening of the memorial complex coincides with what Moscow described as the first anniversary of the recapture of parts of the Russian Kursk region that Ukrainian forces had controlled.
North Korean soldiers were deployed in this region to help repel the Ukrainian advance, as the agency reported that during his meeting with Belousov, Kim praised the “impressive military results of the liberation of Kursk.”
Seoul estimates that about two thousand North Koreans were killed in the Ukrainian war, and only two North Korean soldiers were captured and are currently in the custody of the Ukrainian authorities.
A new wild artery to break isolation
In a step that embodies the strong relationship between the two countries subject to international sanctions that developed during the Russian war on Ukraine, Moscow and Pyongyang deepened their economic, political, cultural and military relations.
Last Tuesday, Russia and North Korea celebrated the construction of the first land bridge linking the two countries, and it is scheduled to open to traffic this summer.
The Russian Ministry of Transport announced the completion of work on the land bridge across the Tumen River on the border between Russia and North Korea, allowing for the first time a direct land link between the two countries. The bridge, which crosses the Tumen River separating the two countries, will be able to handle 300 vehicles and 2,850 people per day, according to the Russian Ministry of Transport.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the opening of the bridge “will constitute a truly historic stage in Russian-Korean relations, and its importance goes far beyond the engineering mission alone.”
She added that the bridge will help “develop commercial, economic and humanitarian exchanges” between the Russian Far East and North Korea.
