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It will be build in a park in a region neighbouring Ukraine.
A new memorial is set to rise in Russia’s Kursk region, marking the role North Korean forces played in pushing back last year’s Ukrainian incursion
Local leaders say the monument will anchor a wider redevelopment of a city park, reflecting deepening military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.
Kursk Oblast shares a border with the Northeastern Ukraine.
Regional tribute
Kursk governor Alexander Khinshtein announced the plan on Telegram, saying the structure will commemorate “the combat brotherhood of the DPRK and Russia” with backing from the country’s defense ministry.
City officials have allocated roughly $500,000 for upgrades to the park, though they have not confirmed whether the municipal design bureau overseeing renovations will also install the memorial.
Expanding symbolic ties
The forthcoming tribute follows an earlier sculpture unveiled in Moscow in October, dedicated to North Korean partisans who fought alongside the Red Army during World War II.
That ceremony, attended by senior military officials from both countries, was presented as reinforcement of their modern defense partnership.
Analysts suggests, North Korea dispatched about 14,000 troops to support Russian units in Kursk beginning in October 2024.
After the operation wound down, Pyongyang sent an additional contingent of 1,000 deminers and 5,000 military construction workers to aid post-conflict recovery.
Clearing the mines
Khinshtein briefed President Vladimir Putin this week on mine-clearing progress, describing the undertaking’s “unprecedented scale.”
He said Russian engineering teams, the National Guard, the Emergency Situations Ministry and North Korean specialists are working jointly. Ninety-two settlements have been cleared, with 2.7 million explosive items removed so far, he reported.
Russian authorities stated in November that North Korean deminers had begun operations following training from Russian instructors, including guidance on anti-drone tactics and robotic equipment.
Sources: Russian state media, regional government statements, NKNews
