North Korea has commenced construction of a new war memorial in Pyongyang to honor its troops killed while fighting alongside Russian forces in the ongoing war in Ukraine, according to reports from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Thursday.

The project, officially titled the “Memorial Museum of Combat Feats,” was inaugurated during a solemn groundbreaking ceremony attended by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russia’s ambassador to North Korea, Aleksandr Matsegora, along with senior officials, military officers, and bereaved families of the fallen soldiers.

In his address at the event, Kim described the forthcoming museum as “a sacred sanctuary dedicated to the immortality of true patriots,” emphasizing that it would commemorate those who “destroyed the fiendish neo-Nazi invaders with their staunch spirit not to tolerate any aggression but to annihilate the aggressors.”

KCNA reported that the memorial will feature sculptures, photographs, and artworks depicting North Korean soldiers who fought in Russia, particularly in the Kursk region, where the regime says its troops have been stationed for about a year. Kim lauded these forces for their contribution to what he called a “decisive victory,” praising their courage and sacrifice on foreign soil.

Kim used the occasion to underscore what he described as the “historic peak” in relations between Pyongyang and Moscow. “The blood shed by our heroes on Russian soil has further deepened the comradeship between the two nations,” he declared. The North Korean leader portrayed the memorial not only as a tribute to the dead but as a symbol of unbreakable solidarity with Russia amid what both countries term “Western hostility.”

Russia’s ambassador Matsegora, addressing the crowd, echoed these sentiments, hailing the cooperation between the two nations as a cornerstone of “mutual struggle against external aggression.”

North Korea, one of the world’s most closed and heavily sanctioned nations, has emerged as a key military ally for Russia since the invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. According to South Korean intelligence estimates, at least 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed and several thousand more wounded while fighting in support of Russian forces.

Beyond personnel, Pyongyang has reportedly sent thousands of troops and large shipments of weapons and ammunition to assist Russia’s campaign to push Ukrainian forces from contested border regions.

Last year, both nations formalized their cooperation through a strategic partnership agreement pledging “military and other assistance” if either country were attacked — a pact that analysts say mirrors Cold War–era mutual defense arrangements.

The memorial’s construction follows a series of symbolic gestures aimed at reinforcing the alliance between the two countries. In Moscow, a recent art exhibition celebrated DPRK–Russia ties, showcasing paintings of North Korean and Russian soldiers fighting side by side against what was portrayed as a “hostile West.”

Analysts note that Pyongyang’s public acknowledgment of casualties — a rare move for the regime — and the establishment of a permanent monument serve both domestic and diplomatic purposes. The site is expected to be used as a patriotic rallying point, reinforcing Kim’s narrative that North Korean soldiers’ sacrifices abroad contribute to the nation’s global mission against Western dominance.

The groundbreaking of the “Memorial Museum of Combat Feats” symbolizes the institutionalization of North Korea’s role in Russia’s war effort — transforming what began as covert cooperation into a celebrated political alliance.