North Korea memorial points to heavy troop losses in Russia-Ukraine war
A newly unveiled memorial complex in Pyongyang appears to offer the clearest public clue yet to the scale of North Korean troop deaths in the Russia-Ukraine war.
A BBC investigation, using satellite imagery and official photos, estimates that about 2,300 North Korean soldiers were killed fighting for Russia.
The Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at Overseas Military Operations was unveiled on 26 April in Pyongyang's Hwasong district.
It was ordered by Kim Jong Un in October 2025 to honour troops killed in the war, and construction began that same month.
The complex includes two 30-metre memorial walls, a building and a cemetery.
Analysis of images released by KCNA suggests the walls contain around 2,304 engraved names in total, based on the number of sections and columns visible.
The estimate matters because North Korea has never disclosed the death toll from its operation in Kursk.
South Korea has said at least 11,000 North Koreans were sent to Russia to help recapture parts of western Kursk after Ukraine's surprise incursion in August 2024.
The memorial also underlines the extent of North Korea's military support for Russia.
