North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has visited the construction site of the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at Overseas Military Operations, dedicated to troops who took part in the operation to liberate Kursk Region, Russia.
Last spring, North Korean troops, acting under the June 2024 Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty, helped Russian forces repel a large-scale Ukrainian incursion into the region.
In April 2025, the Russian military reported that Ukrainian forces were fully expelled, acknowledging the role of North Korean troops for the first time, without disclosing the numbers. In August, Kim announced plans to build a museum in Pyongyang to honor the soldiers killed in the operation.
Images released by KCNA on Friday show Kim inspecting a large memorial complex in a monumental North Korean style, centered on a Memorial Wall.
The exterior of the museum building is adorned with high-relief bronze sculptures of North Korean soldiers in modern combat gear.
A structured burial ground with rows of concrete gravestones lies behind the museum. Construction appears to be near completion.
During the inspection, Kim urged the builders “to deeply cherish the profound feelings of respect” for the fallen and make the museum “a sacred monument… glorified eternally as a symbol of the feats and immortality of the fallen fighters.”
He said the soldiers’ “matchless bravery and mass heroism” must be “etched in history as a banner of invincibility,” KCNA reported.
In late December, Kim told Russian President Vladimir Putin that bilateral ties have been strengthened by “sharing blood” on the Ukraine frontline, calling the relationship a “precious common asset” that must be preserved “for generations to come.”
Putin thanked Pyongyang for its military assistance in Kursk, and said the “heroic entry” of North Korean troops and their combat engineers proved the “invincible friendship” between the two peoples.
The Russian authorities have praised the North Koreans’ role in the Kursk operation and vowed to erect a monument in Moscow to those who died. The late Russian ambassador to North Korea, Aleksandr Matsegora, said monuments could also be erected in Kursk Region, with streets named after the fallen.
US President Donald Trump has said members of his newly formed Board of Peace have pledged “thousands of personnel” and billions of dollars to a potential international stabilization force that will be tasked with administering Gaza.
In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump said countries taking part in the initiative will formalize their commitments at a meeting on February 19 in Washington, describing the deployment as part of efforts to maintain “security and peace” in the Palestinian enclave.
“Member States have pledged more than $5 BILLION DOLLARS toward the Gaza Humanitarian and Reconstruction efforts, and have committed thousands of personnel to the International Stabilization Force and Local Police,” he wrote, adding that Hamas must uphold its commitment to full and immediate “demilitarization.”
Trump did not identify which nations have pledged troops or funding. However, Indonesia’s military said it has 8,000 personnel on standby, potentially making it the first country to formally commit forces if the government gives formal approval.
“Our troops are fully prepared and can be dispatched at short notice once the government gives formal approval,” Army spokesman Brigadier General Donny Pramono told AP on Sunday.
The ‘Board of Peace’ was formally established in mid-January as part of a Gaza peace roadmap, but Trump envisages the body as a quasi-alternative to the UN, with influence stretching “far beyond.”
Trump named himself chairman and invited dozens of foreign leaders to join what he described as “the most consequential international body in history.”
Israel has reportedly accepted an invitation, while several European nations – including France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and the UK – have declined. Russia has confirmed that it received an invitation and said it is studying the proposal. Permanent membership beyond the initial three years will reportedly require contributions of $1 billion.
The US-led body is intended to oversee reconstruction, security, and political transition in the enclave, but critics have questioned its mandate and the absence of Palestinian political representation. Hamas has said it is committed to the peace process but will only disarm if Israeli forces withdraw from the enclave.
