North Korea plans to send military construction workers and deminers to Russia

By

The Associated Press

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu, third left, meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, second right, at the headquarters of the ruling Workers' Party in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency.

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea will send thousands of military construction workers and deminers to support reconstruction work in Russia's Kursk region, a top Russian official said Tuesday, the latest sign of expanding cooperation between the nations.

North Korea has already supplied thousands of combat troops and a vast amount of conventional weapons to back Russia's war against Ukraine. In April, Pyongyang and Moscow said that their soldiers fought together to repel a Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk border region, though Ukraine has insisted it still has troops present there.