North Korea opens memorial in Pyongyang for troops killed fighting for Russia in Ukraine

On April 26, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended the opening of a memorial museum in Pyongyang honoring North Korean soldiers who died while fighting for Russia in Ukraine, with senior Russian defence officials present.

The memorial lists 2,304 North Korean combatants killed, a figure verified through satellite imagery and official photographs by the Korean service of the BBC.

The BBC, together with Mediazona and volunteer networks, reports that more than 3,500 foreign nationals have been killed fighting on the Russian side since the war began, spanning over 40 nationalities, including significant numbers from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Cuba, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Ghana, Cameroon and South Africa.

These numbers are derived from open‑source verification, not Ukrainian or Western estimates, underscoring the expanding role of mercenaries in the conflict.