New images released by Russia’s Defense Ministry show North Korean troops clearing mines in western Russia’s war-torn Kursk region, the latest sign of deepening military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.
North Korean soldiers wield detection equipment, receive instructions from Russian engineers and sing patriotic songs before starting their work. A Russian commander with the call sign “Veles” said: “They are great guys, they learn quickly, listen attentively and take notes.” Another commander, “Lesnik,” said the North Koreans “operated at the same level as my sappers, performing the same tasks as my boys.”
According to ReutersRussia says the North Korean deployment follows last year’s fighting that helped repel a major Ukrainian incursion into the western Kursk region. South Korean, Ukrainian and Western sources told Reuters that North Korea sent about 14,000 troops under a mutual defense pact and that more than 6,000 were killed. The numbers of battlefield casualties could not be independently verified.
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Russia openly brags about using North Korean soldiers to clear mines in the war-hit Kursk region. (East to West News Agency)
The Russian Ministry of Defense channel Zvezda claims that the new demining unit was “created and sent to the Kursk region on the orders of Commander-in-Chief Kim Jong-un.” The channel said North Korean engineers “arrived in the Kursk region already having experience in carrying out missions in their homeland” and then “received extensive additional training from the technical forces of the Russian Armed Forces.”
In the footage released by the Russian Defense Ministry, Kim Jong Un’s sappers begin each operation by honoring the North Korean flag, describing it as a sign of their willingness “to carry out any order from the Supreme Leader.” The Russian Defense Ministry claims that Russian instructors have taught them how to deal with “the latest NATO and Ukrainian mines” and counter drones.
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Footage released by Moscow shows North Korean sappers using Russian demining equipment in the war-scarred Kursk region (East to West News Agency)
North Korean engineers are now reportedly using Russian robotic demining platforms such as the Stalker and Uran-6.
The East to West News Agency reported that the first of thousands of North Korean military engineers have begun clearing explosives in the region, describing the mission as aimed at reducing the risk to Russian personnel. The head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, has also said North Korea is sending 6,000 engineers to Russia.
In this polar photo distributed by Russian state agency Sputnik, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un toast during a reception at the Mongnangwan Reception House in Pyongyang on June 19, 2024. Putin enjoyed a red carpet welcome, a military ceremony and a hug from North Korea’s Kim Jong Un during a state visit to Pyongyang, where they both vowed to forge closer ties. (Getty Images)
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North Korean troops are sweeping minefields left behind after months of fighting in the Kursk region. (East to West News Agency)
Russian military outlet Krasnaya Zvezda reported that Russian and North Korean teams are facing a “previously invisible density” of anti-tank and anti-personnel mines reportedly left behind by Ukrainian forces, adding that many of the devices are manufactured by NATO members. Reuters could not independently verify battlefield conditions.
According to the newspaper, 37 of the 64 settlements in the Bolshesoldatsky district are closed to civilians due to mines. The report also said the sappers continued to come under Ukrainian artillery and drone fire, which Reuters was also unable to confirm.
Ukrainian forces stormed into the Kursk region in August 2024 and held parts of the area for months. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in April that Russian troops, backed by North Korean units, had driven them out.
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Russia openly brags about using North Korean soldiers to clear mines in the war-hit Kursk region.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said last month that military cooperation between the countries would “continue non-stop,” Reuters reported.
Reuters contributed to this report.
