Pyongyang to send sappers and construction workers to help rebuild Russia’s Kursk region, Shoigu says
Russia and North Korea have agreed that Pyongyang will send sappers and construction workers to assist with reconstruction efforts in Russia’s Kursk region, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu said following talks with Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, according to Interfax.
“Chairman of State Affairs Kim Jong Un has decided to send 1,000 sappers to Russia to clear mines from Russian territory, as well as 5,000 military construction workers to help restore damaged infrastructure,” Shoigu said.
He added that the leaders of Russia and North Korea also agreed to honor the soldiers of the Korean People’s Army who took part in combat operations.
Memorials will be opened in both Russia and North Korea to commemorate the North Korean troops killed in battles in the Kursk region.
This is Shoigu’s second visit to North Korea in June 2025.
North Korean troops took part in the fighting in the Kursk region, parts of which were occupied by Ukrainian forces in August 2024. The first reports of North Korean involvement in combat appeared in October. Russia officially acknowledged their presence only in late April 2025.
