Alexander Hinshteyn, the governor of Russia’s Kursk region, mentioned in a televised interview on Tuesday that the North Korean military is assisting with demining efforts along the border with Ukraine.
“Members of the Korean People’s Army have been instrumental in clearing border areas. Right now, they are involved in demining operations, crucial for both future reconstruction and the security of the region,” Hinshteyn stated.
“The bond between the people of Russia and South Korea urges us to cultivate a unique partnership with North Korea,” he added. He noted that plans are underway to make Kaesong, a city in North Korea, a “sister city” to Kursk.
Kursk faced incursions from Ukrainian forces in August 2024—about 18 months after Russia first invaded Ukraine. It caught Russian troops off guard, allowing Ukrainian forces to capture and maintain positions deep within the Kursk Oblast.
With their backs against the wall, Russian officials reached out to North Korea for additional support. North Korea subsequently sent approximately 12,000 soldiers to aid in the effort to reclaim Kursk, although both nations delayed this action for months. In April 2025, the Russian government announced that they had successfully regained control of Kursk from Ukrainian forces.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stated that his troops were dispatched to “collaborate with the Russian military to eradicate and eliminate the neo-Nazi occupants of Ukraine and liberate the Kursk area.” He seemed somewhat baffled by modern drone warfare, but nonetheless declared the North Korean soldiers who endured heavy losses at Kursk as “heroes of the homeland.” To commemorate them, the North Korean regime planned to hold a ceremonial event in August 2025.
Hinshteyn, who was appointed acting governor of Kursk by President Vladimir Putin in December, mentioned on Tuesday that the border area with Ukraine is still “contaminated with landmines, unexploded ordnance, aerial bombs, and shells,” indicating a significant need for a comprehensive demining campaign.
His predecessor, Governor Alexei Smirnov, resigned amid public dissatisfaction regarding the handling of the response to the anti-invasion, notably the failure to evacuate civilians from occupied areas.
In June, the North Korean government announced plans to send thousands of military construction workers, including demining specialists, to assist in rebuilding Kursk. According to Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s Security Council secretary, this North Korean contingent is expected to include around 5,000 construction workers along with 1,000 engineers or demining experts.
“Following the eviction of the invaders from our territory, we have reached an agreement for the South Korean side to offer reconstruction assistance for the Kursk region, promoting constructive cooperation. This gesture can be considered a fraternal aid towards our nation from the South Korean people and their leader, Kim Jong-un,” Shoigu explained in June.
Hinshteyn confirmed in early September that “comrades in arms from North Korea” had arrived, referring to it as “a preliminary step toward rebuilding infrastructure damaged by combat.”
The demining efforts officially commenced in March but seemed to be progressing rather slowly. Just before the North Korean workers arrived, two local individuals tragically lost their lives after stepping on a landmine near the Ukrainian border. Hinshteyn noted that a state media photographer sustained injuries from another landmine just days before this unfortunate incident.
