Russian and North Korean soldiers take part in demining training in the Kursk region, in this still image taken from a video released on November 14, 2025. Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS
(Reuters) -North Korean troops who helped Russia repel a major Ukrainian incursion into its western Kursk region are now playing an important role in clearing the area of mines, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Friday.
Under a mutual defence pact between the two countries, North Korea last year sent some 14,000 soldiers to fight alongside Russia in Kursk, and more than 6,000 were killed, according to South Korean, Ukrainian and Western sources.
