North Korea To Send 5,000 Army Builders And 1,000 Deminers To Russia's Kursk Region

Last Updated:June 20, 2025, 22:31 IST

North Korea will send 6,000 military builders and sappers to help restore Russia's Kursk region after Ukraine's incursion, following talks between Sergei Shoigu and Kim Jong Un.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (R) meeting with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu (L) on June 17. (AFP)

North Korea has agreed to send 5,000 military builders and 1,000 deminers to assist Russia in restoring its western Kursk region, which has been affected by Ukraine’s incursions.

Sergei Shoigu, the head of Russia’s Security Council, made the announcement following talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his visit to Pyongyang on Tuesday. This was Shoigu’s second meeting with Kim in less than two weeks.

According to Shoigu, North Korea will deploy “a division of builders, two military brigades — totaling 5,000 personnel" along with 1,000 specialist deminers to support reconstruction and demining efforts in the conflict-affected Kursk region.

“This is a kind of fraternal assistance from the Korean people and leader Kim Jong Un to our country," Shoigu said, stressing the close ties between Moscow and Pyongyang.

North Korean state media described the meeting as conducted in a “congenial atmosphere of friendship and trust." The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that Kim confirmed plans for further cooperation but did not provide detailed information.

Shoigu and Kim discussed “items of immediate cooperation" and “long-term plans," following previous agreements made between the two nations’ leaders through exchanged personal letters in recent weeks, KCNA added.

Last year, Russia and North Korea signed a broad military agreement that included a mutual defence clause. This came during a rare visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to North Korea.

Since the Russia-Ukraine war began over three years ago, North Korea has emerged as one of Russia’s key allies, sending thousands of troops to assist the Kremlin in pushing back Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region. Alongside this, North Korea has consistently supplied Russia with military support throughout the ongoing conflict.

In June, Shoigu and Kim expressed their desire to expand the Russia-North Korea partnership into a “powerful and comprehensive strategic relationship," according to KCNA.

(With inputs from AFP)

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