Moscow Says North Korean Troops Assisting in De-Mining Russia’s Kursk Region

North Korean Troops Play Key Role in De-Mining Russia’s Kursk Region: Moscow.

North Korean troops, who helped Russia repel a Ukrainian incursion into western Kursk, are now playing a significant role in clearing mines in the region, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Friday.

Under a mutual defence pact, Pyongyang sent around 14,000 soldiers to assist Russia in Kursk last year, with more than 6,000 reported killed, according to South Korean, Ukrainian, and Western sources. Ukrainian forces had entered western Kursk in August 2024, but Russian forces, with North Korean support, successfully pushed them back, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in April.

Videos released by the Russian Defence Ministry show North Korean troops being trained on different types of mines and mine-detection equipment, participating in exercises, and performing patriotic songs. A Russian commander, call sign “Veles,” praised their discipline: “They’re great lads, they learn quickly, listen attentively and take notes.” Another, “Lesnik,” said, “They are on an equal level with my sappers, carrying out the same tasks as my lads.”

Russian military outlet Krasnaya Zvezda reported that Russian and North Korean soldiers are confronting a “previously unseen density” of anti-tank and anti-personnel mines left behind by Ukrainian forces, many reportedly manufactured by NATO countries.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed gratitude for the “selfless, heroic assistance” of North Korean troops, calling their work “dangerous and difficult” but invaluable to Russia’s de-mining efforts.