North Korea's Kim makes rare visit to Russian embassy as ties deepen

9/5/2025 16:35

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a rare visit to the Russian embassy in Pyongyang with his daughter on Friday to celebrate Russia's Victory Day to mark the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, state media said.



Kim said North Korea will "consolidate and develop the long tradition of the DPRK-Russia relations, the noble ideological foundation and the invincible alliance", KCNA reported.



North Korea's unprecedented deployment of thousands of troops, as well as huge amounts of artillery ammunition and missiles, has helped Russia push back a Ukrainian incursion into its western Kursk region. It has also brought North Korea and Russia - both economically and politically isolated - closer.



About 600 North Korean troops have been killed fighting for Russia against Ukraine out of a total deployment of 15,000, according to the South Korean intelligence.



In return, Pyongyang appears to have received technical assistance on satellites, as well as drones and anti-aircraft missiles, South Korea has said.