North Korea confirms its support for Russia’s sacred war in Ukraine

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has once again affirmed his country’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, pledging to help Moscow achieve victory in its “sacred war,” according to state media on Monday.

Pyongyang has supplied Russian forces with missiles, ammunition, and thousands of troops to support their fight against Ukraine, in exchange, according to analysts, for financial, technological, military, and food assistance provided by Russia to the isolated nuclear state.

Several high-ranking Russian officials have also visited North Korea in recent days, including Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, who met Kim on Sunday, according to official statements.

The Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim told Belousov: “North Korea will, as always, support the policy of the Russian Federation in defending national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security interests.”

Kim expressed “confidence that the Russian army and people will inevitably achieve victory in this sacred and just war,” the agency said.

Both sides announced that their delegations discussed strengthening military relations, with Belousov stating that Moscow is ready to sign a cooperation plan covering the period from 2027 to 2031.

Kim, Belousov, and Russian State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin also attended the inauguration ceremony of a memorial complex established in honor of North Korean soldiers killed in Ukraine.

The ceremony included a musical performance, fireworks display, and an aerial parade, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

The agency added that the audience was moved by depictions of “bloody battles between life and death,” as well as “hand-to-hand combat defying death and heroic suicide explosions that young soldiers chose to carry out without hesitation.”

In 2024, North Korea and Russia signed a military treaty obligating both countries to provide military assistance “without delay” to the other party in the event of an attack.

The inauguration of the memorial complex coincides with what Moscow described as the first anniversary of the recapture of parts of Russia’s Kursk region, which had previously been under Ukrainian control.

North Korean soldiers were deployed in this region to help repel the Ukrainian advance.

The agency reported that during his meeting with Belousov, Kim praised the “remarkable military results of the liberation of Kursk.”

Seoul estimates that around 2,000 North Koreans have been killed in the war in Ukraine.

Only two North Korean soldiers have been captured alive, and they are currently being held by Ukrainian authorities.