According to a report by the North Korean News Agency on August 18th, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui received a telegram from Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov on the occasion of the ‘Day of the Liberation of the Motherland’.
In his telegram, Lavrov reiterated Russia's commitment to strengthening cooperation in various fields and contributing to regional and international security. He told Choi Soon-hee that Russia and North Korea are continuing to establish a "just new world order" based on "true equality and national interests".
Lavrov said: "The participation of officers and soldiers of the North Korean People's Army in the operation to remove the Ukrainian Nazi group and foreign mercenaries from Kursk strongly demonstrates the tradition of combat friendship created by our heroic ancestors."
It is worth noting that since the full escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022, North Korea has rapidly strengthened its relations with Russia. In 2024, both sides signed a mutual defense treaty.
Reuters also reported on the same day that North Korea sent approximately 14,000 soldiers to Russia at the end of 2024 to assist Russia in repelling Ukraine's large-scale invasion of the Kursk region. In May this year, Russian President Putin announced victory in the military operations in the region and publicly thanked Pyongyang for its assistance.
Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy claimed that up to 50,000 North Korean soldiers would be sent to Russia for a new deployment, in order to help increase military pressure on Ukraine.
Additionally, Andrey Cherynyk, an officer from the General Intelligence Department of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, also claimed earlier this month that a North Korean missile force had begun deploying to western Russia. It is possible that these units will be equipped with 120 ballistic missiles and six sets of launch devices, intended for attacks against Ukraine. This claim has not yet been confirmed by the Russian side.
