North Korean troops march during Russia’s Victory Day military parade on May 9. / Courtesy of Russian state media outlet TASS’ X account

North Korean troops took part in Russia’s Victory Day military parade held on May 9 to commemorate the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in World War II, marking the first time North Korean soldiers have appeared in the annual event.

Russian state media outlet TASS posted a 26-second video on X showing North Korean soldiers marching through Moscow’s Red Square in dress uniforms while carrying rifles.

The troops marched in formation carrying North Korean flags and banners with Korean-language slogans such as “Eternal Prosperity of the Motherland.”

According to TASS, Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the Russian State Duma’s international affairs committee, said the participation of North Korean troops reflected the two countries’ “strategic partnership and alliance.”

He added that North Korean soldiers had “fought bravely and devotedly alongside Russian troops” in operations to retake Russia’s Kursk region, describing the relationship as “true comradeship.”

Reuters and Associated Press reported that the marching troops were believed to belong to units previously deployed alongside Russian forces in the Kursk battle.

North Korean officials, including Shin Hong Chol, were also seen in the viewing stands applauding and speaking with Russian officials.

North Korean officials are seen in the stands during Russia’s Victory Day military parade on May 9. On the left is Shin Hong Chol. The official on the right has not been formally identified but is believed to possibly be O Chol Jin, deputy director of the Europe 1 Bureau at North Korea’s foreign ministry. / Courtesy of Russian state media outlet TASS’ X account

North Korea and Russia signed what is widely viewed as a de facto military alliance treaty, officially called the “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty,” in June 2024. North Korea has since dispatched combat troops to Russia beginning in October that year, with reports indicating roughly 15,000 personnel have been deployed in two separate waves.

Russia commemorates May 9 each year as Victory Day, marking the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II in 1945.

During last year’s Victory Day parade, North Korea sent a five-member military delegation led by Kim Yong Bok, but no North Korean military unit participated in the march itself.

This year’s participation appears to reflect deepening military ties between the two countries amid events marking the first anniversary of the “liberation of Kursk.”

There had been speculation that Kim Jong Un might attend the ceremony in person, but he is believed to have stayed away due to security concerns following intensified Ukrainian drone attacks in Russia.

Kim nevertheless sent a congratulatory message to Vladimir Putin reaffirming bilateral friendship and marking Russia’s Victory Day celebrations.

North Korean troops took part in Russia’s Victory Day military parade held on May 9 to com …

North Korean Troops Join Russia’s Victory Day Parade for the First Time