In a dramatic twist on the battlefield, North Korea has officially confirmed the deployment of its troops to Russia, proudly hailing their role in helping Moscow reclaim the Kursk Region from Ukrainian forces.
Pyongyang’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced Monday that Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un personally ordered the military operation, describing it as a mission “to annihilate Ukrainian neo-Nazi occupiers” and assist in the “victorious liberation” of Russian territory.
Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, in a recent briefing to President Vladimir Putin, praised the North Korean troops for their contributions during the fierce fighting. Until now, both Moscow and Pyongyang had kept tight-lipped about their growing military cooperation, fueling plenty of speculation in Western capitals.
The deployment falls under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement signed last December — a pact that obligates both nations to come to each other’s aid if attacked, invoking protections under Article 51 of the UN Charter. North Korea stressed that its involvement on Russian soil fully complies with international law, calling the mission a textbook case of faithful treaty enforcement.
The conflict in Kursk Region had heated up dramatically since Ukraine’s bold cross-border offensive last August. Backed by Western arms and boasting elite troops, Kiev’s forces managed some early gains, seizing several settlements. But the tide soon turned, with Russia — now bolstered by its North Korean allies — regaining lost ground.
According to North Korean officials, the evolving situation triggered Article 4 of the strategic pact, prompting Kim Jong-un to personally greenlight the historic deployment after consulting with the Kremlin.
For months, Ukraine and its Western supporters had accused Pyongyang of secretly sending troops into the fray. But Saturday’s formal acknowledgment left little doubt: North Korean soldiers are now actively participating in one of Europe’s fiercest battlefronts — and claiming a share of Moscow’s latest military victory.
With Kursk firmly back under Russian control, Pyongyang wasted no time trumpeting the operation as a symbol of loyalty and strength in its growing alliance with Moscow.
