North Korea sending teams to Russia’s Kursk to aid war-hit area’s recovery

Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s Security Council secretary, made the announcement during a sojourn to Pyongyang.

North Korea volition nonstop thousands of subject builders and deminers to assistance reconstruction efforts successful Russia’s Kursk region, an country Ukraine successfully invaded and remained entrenched successful for months, Russian media has reported, a further motion of the deepening subject confederation betwixt Moscow and Pyongyang.

Russian authorities quality bureau RIA Novosti cited Russia’s Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu arsenic saying connected Tuesday that North Korea volition dispatch 1,000 deminers and 5,000 subject builders to the occidental region. Shoigu made the comments during his sojourn to Pyongyang for a gathering with North Korean person Kim Jong Un.

North Korea volition beryllium sending “a part of builders, 2 subject brigades – 5,000 people” and 1,000 deminers to the Kursk region, Shoigu said connected Tuesday. “This is simply a benignant of fraternal assistance from the Korean radical and person Kim Jong Un to our country.”

North Korean authorities media did not instantly corroborate Shoigu’s visit, the 2nd successful little than 2 weeks.

North Korea has go 1 of Russia’s main allies during its much than three-year-long Ukraine war, sending thousands of troops and accepted weapons to assistance the Kremlin oust Ukrainian forces from Kursk.

The United States and South Korea person expressed interest that, successful return, Kim whitethorn question Russian exertion transfers that could heighten the menace posed by his ain nuclear-armed military.

“An statement was besides reached connected continuing constructive cooperation,” Russia’s TASS quality bureau quoted Shoigu arsenic saying.

Russia and North Korea signed a sweeping subject deal past November, including a communal defence clause, during a uncommon sojourn by Russian President Vladimir Putin to North Korea. Pyongyang has reportedly been straight arming Moscow to enactment its warfare successful Ukraine.

When Shoigu met with Kim and elder subject officials connected June 4, the 2 sides said they wanted to grow and make Russia-North Korea ties into “the almighty and broad relations of strategical partnership”, according to North Korean authorities quality bureau KCNA.

In April, the 2 countries officially confirmed the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia for the archetypal time, saying that these troops had helped Russia to recapture the Kursk portion – a assertion contested by Ukraine.

Putin thanked North Korea astatine that clip for its information successful the warfare and promised not to hide their sacrifices. More than 6,000 North Korean soldiers person died successful the Russia-Ukraine war, according to British Defence Intelligence.