Kim firmly backs ‘sacred’ Ukraine war

This picture taken on April 26, 2026 and released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on April 27, 2026 shows the inauguration ceremony of the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at the Overseas Military Operations in Pyongyang. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP) / South Korea OUT / ---EDITORS NOTE--- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO/KCNA VIA KNS" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS THIS PICTURE WAS MADE AVAILABLE BY A THIRD PARTY. AFP CAN NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, LOCATION, DATE AND CONTENT OF THIS IMAGE. /

Kim Jong-un has reaffirmed Pyongyang’s support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, ­vowing to help Moscow achieve victory in its “sacred” war, state media reported.

A string of high-level Russian officials have visited North Korea in recent days, with Defence Minis­ter Andrey Belousov ­mee­­ting Kim on Sunday, ­according to official statements.

North Korea “will as ever fully support the policy of the Russian Federation to defend the national sovereignty, territorial integrity and security interests”, Kim told Belousov, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) yesterday.

He expressed “belief that the Russian army and people would surely win a victory in the just (and) sacred war”, it reported.

Both sides said their delegations had discussed deeper military ties, with Belousov saying Moscow was ready to sign a ­cooperation plan covering the period from 2027 to 2031.

Kim, Belousov and Russian parliamentary speaker Vyacheslav Volodin also attended the opening ceremony of a memorial complex honouring North Korean soldiers killed in Ukraine.

In a speech, Kim paid tribute to their “unrivalled bravery, mass heroism, indomitable fighting spirit and noble sacrifice”, KCNA said.

He took part in a ceremony to bury the war dead, recalling their “last heroic moments” and ­covering a soldier’s remains with earth.

The inauguration also included a concert, a fireworks display and an air force flyover, KCNA ­reported.

North Korea and Russia signed a treaty in 2024, obli­ga­ting both states to provide military assistance “without delay” in the event of an attack on the other.

The opening of the memorial coincides with the first anni­ver­sary of Moscow’s recovery of parts of Kursk, a region in Russia where Ukraine launched a major counter-offensive starting in mid-2024.

North Korean soldiers were deployed in the area to help beat back the Ukrainian advance.

In his meeting with Belousov, Kim hailed the “brilliant war results in liberating Kursk”, according to KCNA.

Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the “extraordinary bravery and genuine devotion” of North Korean troops in a letter to Kim that was published by KCNA. — AFP