North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un and Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Matsegora attend the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats in Pyongyang. Image: Aju Press.
(The Post News)– North Korea started building a new museum to honor its soldiers who perished in combat against Russian soldiers during the war against Ukraine. The move, declared leader Kim Jong Un, was proof of “eternal friendship” with Moscow and that relations between the two nations have been at a “historic peak.”
Speaking during Thursday’s Pyongyang groundbreaking ceremony, Kim spoke to Russia’s ambassador to North Korea, Aleksandr Matsegora, and North Korea’s top military generals. “Pyongyang will always stand with Moscow. Our friendship and solidarity will never waver,” Kim said to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Memorial Museum to Honor ‘True Patriots’
The Memorial Museum of Combat Glory will feature the sculpture, artwork, and photographs of North Korean soldiers who have been engaged in Russia’s Kursk province, where the combat operations against Ukrainian soldiers intensified in 2024.
Kim labelled the museum as a “sacred sanctuary” to commemorate the memory of what he called “true patriots” who gave their lives for “world peace and justice.” He further mentioned that it will have a cemetery and a monument for soldiers who have lost their lives in “overseas military operations.”
Today, we are laying the groundwork for a memorial that will forever protect the radiant life of our heroes and fallen soldiers,” Kim said. The incident spotlighted the growing defense alliance between Pyongyang and Moscow. In November of 2024, the two countries signed a mutual defense agreement promising to provide “immediate military assistance by all means” if either is attacked.
North Korea admitted in April 2025 that it had deployed soldiers to Russia, a longstanding allegation by Western intelligence. Ukrainian authorities estimate that more than 14,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed in Russia since late 2024, including soldiers employed as frontline combat reinforcements and engineers.
South Korea’s spy agency last September reported that as many as 2,000 North Korean soldiers were killed in Russia’s Kursk province, a significant increase from a previous estimate of 600. Thousands more were reported injured.
North Korea has shipped Russia billions of dollars’ worth of short-range missiles, artillery rounds, and rockets since 2023. Russia has provided economic assistance and military technology in return, including building submarines and spy drones.
Kim praised his troops in April for “wiping out neo-Nazi invaders” in Russia and said their efforts brought about a “victory of great significance.” Ukrainian and Western leaders, though, have accused North Korea of violating U.N. arms sanctions and assisting in fueling Russia’s war machine.
Recent Ukrainian intelligence says that North Korean troops have begun operating drones along the border to scout out and target. The Ukrainian General Staff said its troops overheard a call between Russian troops and operators of North Korean drones earlier this month.
International Alarm over Growing Alliance
North Korea’s growing military alliance with Russia has rattled the capitals of Washington, Seoul, and NATO. Washington and Brussels are concerned that the alliance would help the two nations evade sanctions globally and increase their ability to counter the U.S.-dominated international order.
Despite increasing backlash, Kim reiterated his commitment to strengthening ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The decades of battle camaraderie, sanctified in the blood of our martyrs, will continue irresistibly,” Kim stated. “No oppressive force, no tyranny, can break our friendship.”
In Moscow, Russian officials have staged exhibitions commemorating the friendship, placing North Korean and Russian soldiers side by side against “Western aggression.” The new Pyongyang museum, Kim announced, will “transmit forever the tradition of militant solidarity” between the two countries. Construction will begin immediately.
The Memorial Museum of Combat Feats is no mere expression of nostalgia but a testament to the radical shift in North Korea’s foreign policy. In openly celebrating its soldiers’ contribution to Russia’s war, Pyongyang shows that it is fully a member of Moscow’s camp against Western powers, solidifying an alliance that will potentially reshape world security for decades to come.
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