Russian Speaker Visits North Korea to Celebrate Joint Military Effort

Vyacheslav Volodin, the head of Russia’s lower house, flew to Pyongyang on Saturday for a ceremony honoring North Korea’s contribution to Russia’s war in Ukraine. The event, organized by the country’s Supreme Assembly, acknowledges the roughly 14 000 soldiers North Korea has sent to join Russian forces—more than six thousand of whom have reportedly been killed, according to Ukrainian, South Korean and Western sources.

The visit was welcomed by Jo Yong‑won, a key adviser to Kim Jong Un and speaker of North Korea’s legislature. His greeting signals the deepening ties between Moscow and Pyongyang, which were solidified last year when the two leaders signed a broad strategic partnership that includes mutual defense.

North Korea plans to hold a ceremony next year commemorating the “liberation of Kursk,” a region Moscow claimed it had retaken from Ukraine. The ceremony will mark the anniversary of that declaration, reflecting how closely the two governments coordinate on military and political fronts.

The relationship between Russia and North Korea has grown rapidly since 2023, moving from cautious diplomacy to active military cooperation. The latest event underscores how both regimes use symbolic gestures to rally domestic support and signal solidarity on the global stage.