Russian Minister Awards North Korean Troops for Kursk Aid

Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov visited Pyongyang on April 26, awarding North Korean troops with the Order of Courage for their role in repelling a Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk Region the previous year.

The awards, presented during a ceremony on instructions from President Vladimir Putin, recognized the soldiers' participation in combat operations and mine-clearing activities in the border area. Belousov described the event as a milestone in Russian-North Korean military relations. "The North Korean troops who fought in Kursk Region are the true heroes of our time, the elite of the Korean armed forces, their pride and their tower of strength," he said. He expressed gratitude on behalf of the Russian people for the assistance provided under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty signed by Moscow and Pyongyang in June 2024.

The treaty includes a mutual defense pact, which facilitated the deployment of approximately 12,000 North Korean troops to support Russia's counteroffensive in Kursk. Ukrainian forces had launched a large-scale incursion into the region in August 2024, prompting the joint effort to reclaim the territory. North Korean state media and...