A memorial complex has been opened in Pyongyang in memory of North Korean servicemen who died in Russia's war against Ukraine, while the leaders of North Korea and Russia promised to strengthen cooperation, LETA reports, citing AP and RFE/RL.
According to the official news agency of Pyongyang, KCNA, the memorial was opened on Sunday to mark the anniversary of the completion of the operation to 'liberate' the Kursk region.
The names of Russian and North Korean servicemen who died in these battles are engraved on the memorial.
The opening ceremony was attended by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and representatives of the Russian leadership — State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin and Defense Minister Andrei Belousov.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a letter read by Volodin at the ceremony, thanked Kim 'for creating the memorial in the shortest possible time,' calling it 'a symbol of friendship and unity between the two peoples.'
According to estimates from South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) and Western intelligence agencies, the number of North Korean military personnel who died in Russia's war against Ukraine is at least 2,000.
As of the beginning of the year, there were at least 11,000 North Korean servicemen on the front in the Kursk region of Russia.
