Diplomat Says North Korean Army Help Russia In Kursk In Accordance With Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships

Maria Zakharova. (Twitter/@mfa_russia)

JAKARTA - North Korean soldiers took part in Russia's operations to free the Kursk Region in accordance with the two countries' agreement, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told kp.ru.

"North Korean soldiers took part in the operation to free the Kursk border area in accordance with Article 4 of the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement signed in June 2024," he said as reported by TASS April 28.

"The solidarity shown by our North Korean friends is a manifestation of our high and truly allied relationship. We believe our relationship will continue to strengthen and develop in the future," the diplomat explained.

Earlier, Russia for the first time last week acknowledged that North Korean troops were fighting for it on the front lines of Ukraine, praising its role in helping retake Kursk's territory.

"I would like to separately record the participation of the military personnel of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian military General, General Valery Gerasimov, told Russian President Vladimir Putin in a report on Saturday, quoted by NBC News.

General Gerasimov added, under a "comprehensive strategic partnership" between the two countries, the North Korean army had provided "significant assistance" to the Russian army in defeating Ukrainian troops.

Ukraine on August 6, 2024 carried out its largest cross-border attack on Russian territory since World War II, breaking through the border to the western Kursk region supported by swarms of drones and heavy weaponry, including Western-made.

Ukrainian troops seized about 1,300 square km (500 square miles) of Russia's Kursk territory in what Kyiv called an attempt to gain a bargaining position in upcoming negotiations and forced Russia to divert troops from eastern Ukraine.

But in mid-February, Russia reclaimed at least 800 square km (300 square miles) of the Kursk region and in recent days launched a massive offensive from various directions threatening to cut off Ukraine's supply lines and potential troop withdrawal routes.

President Vladimir Putin called Russia's top commanders in Kursk to congratulate them on the "victory" and the end of operations to expel Ukrainian troops from territory in western Russia, the Russian news agency quoted the Kremlin's statement on Sunday.

"Putin congratulated them for the win and thanked them for their heroic work," the Russian news agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying.

Peskov said President Putin spoke to the commander in charge of the Kursk operation and unit commanders who "specially stand out" to them.

Earlier, the RIA state news agency reported that a Russian military commander informed President Putin that "the remains scattered" of the remaining Ukrainian army in the Kursk region would soon be destroyed.

"Currently we have reclaimed the Gornal settlement and remained on its roads, which are completely under our control," the commander said, referring to a village within Russia's borders.

The commander, quoted by RIA, said Russian troops were continuing to clean up the forest areas west and south of Goronal.