Story perspectives

Russia, North Korea Sign 2027-31 Pact, Open Kursk Museum

4/28/2026

Summary

Story summary

Russia and North Korea will sign a 2027-2031 military-cooperation roadmap at the ceremony.
Kim Jong Un opened a museum honoring soldiers who fought with Russian forces in Kursk.
President Vladimir Putin sent a thank-you letter for the fallen, read by State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin.
South Korean intelligence says Russia supplied oil, food and weapons, including nuclear-submarine aid, to 15,000 North Korean troops serving in Kursk, where about 2,000 died.

History

Historical Context

During the Korean War, the Soviet Union secretly sent pilots and MiG-15 jets, with Soviet air units first engaging UN aircraft on 1 November 1950 and supplying about 63 of North Korea’s 178 fighters by April 1950. That covert partnership set a precedent for today’s Russia-North Korea military-cooperation roadmap (2027-2031), celebrated by President Putin and Kim Jong Un in Kursk, reviving Cold-War-era ties.

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Story summary

Russia and North Korea will sign a 2027-2031 military-cooperation roadmap at the ceremony.
Kim Jong Un opened a museum honoring soldiers who fought with Russian forces in Kursk.
President Vladimir Putin sent a thank-you letter for the fallen, read by State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin.
South Korean intelligence says Russia supplied oil, food and weapons, including nuclear-submarine aid, to 15,000 North Korean troops serving in Kursk, where about 2,000 died.

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