North Korea has opened a memorial in Pyongyang to honor soldiers killed while fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, according to reports from multiple news outlets.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov unveiled the memorial together in the North Korean capital. The ceremony marks a public acknowledgment of North Korean military casualties in the ongoing conflict.

The memorial's opening represents a significant development in the military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, as it provides official recognition of North Korean participation in the Ukraine war. Previous reports have indicated that North Korean troops have been deployed to support Russian military operations.

The presence of Russia's Defense Minister at the unveiling ceremony underscores the strengthening military ties between Moscow and Pyongyang. Both countries have faced international sanctions and have increasingly aligned their foreign policy positions in recent years.

The establishment of the memorial suggests North Korea views the deployment of its forces in Ukraine as worthy of official commemoration, despite the controversial nature of the conflict and international opposition to the war.