North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged full support to Russia and promised to send thousands of workers to help rebuild the Kursk region, which faced a surprise Ukrainian incursion in August 2024. Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu confirmed the announcement during his visit to Pyongyang on Tuesday.Shoigu, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, said he was acting under “special instructions” from the Russian leader. Following talks with Kim, he announced that 1,000 North Korean sappers will be deployed to demine Russian territory, alongside 5,000 military construction workers tasked with restoring damaged infrastructure.The move signals deepening military and diplomatic ties between Moscow and Pyongyang amid growing confrontation with the West. Shoigu and Kim’s meeting marked their second encounter in two weeks, underscoring what both sides call a “strategic partnership.” Their discussions reportedly covered U.S.-Russia relations, Ukraine, the Korean Peninsula, and broader security issues.Shoigu said the cooperation stems from a mutual defense pact signed by Putin and Kim in June 2024. He added that reconstruction work in Kursk would begin shortly, once demining operations are complete.While North Korea and Russia deny arms transfers, the U.S., South Korea, and Ukraine accuse Pyongyang of supplying weapons, including ballistic missiles and millions of artillery shells, to aid Russia’s war in Ukraine. A Reuters investigation earlier this year found substantial North Korean ammunition deliveries to Russian frontlines via sea and rail.British intelligence recently estimated that North Korean forces sustained over 6,000 casualties during fighting in Kursk. North Korea has not disclosed any losses. Meanwhile, plans are underway for a memorial in Pyongyang to honor North Korean troops deployed to Russia.Shoigu also hinted at broader transport links, noting the resumption of a direct train service between Moscow and Pyongyang—the first since 2020—and expressed hopes for restarting direct flights for the first time in over 30 years.
