Russian Parliament Speaker Thanks North Korea’s Kim for ‘Liberation of Kursk'
The Moscow Times • • world
Key Points:
- Russian State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin thanked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for sending troops to help "liberate" the Kursk region from Ukrainian forces, according to Russian state media TASS.
- Thousands of North Korean troops, along with missiles and munitions, have been deployed to support Russia's war effort in Ukraine, particularly in the southwestern Kursk area.
- In exchange, Russia is providing North Korea with financial aid, military technology, food, and energy, helping Pyongyang bypass international sanctions related to its nuclear programs.
- Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov visited Pyongyang to solidify long-term military cooperation, presenting awards to North Korean soldiers involved in the Kursk operation and planning a military cooperation agreement through 2031.
- Reports indicate about 2,000 North Korean soldiers have died in the conflict, with instructions to avoid capture; only two have been captured alive by Ukrainian forces and have expressed a desire to defect to South Korea.
