Russian Deputy Foreign Minister: "Hundreds of Wounded Soldiers Undergoing Rehabilitation in North Korea... Showing Fraternal Nature"

Hundreds of Russian soldiers wounded on the Ukrainian front are reported to have received rehabilitation treatment at medical facilities in North Korea.

Kim Jong-gyu, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Korea, held talks with Andrey Rudenko, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, the Korean Central News Agency reported on the 16th. Yonhap News Agency

On the 19th (local time), according to TASS news agency, Andrey Rudenko, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, stated at a reception commemorating the 76th anniversary of the Soviet-North Korean Economic and Cultural Cooperation Agreement held at the North Korean Embassy in Russia, that this is a "clear example demonstrating the fraternal nature of Russia-North Korea relations today." He also explained that last summer, children of soldiers who died on the Ukrainian front visited the Songdowon International Children's Camp, which is another such example.

Earlier, Alexander Matsegora, Russian Ambassador to North Korea, also revealed in an interview with the Russian media Rossiskaya Gazeta last month that hundreds of Russian soldiers wounded in Ukraine are recovering at North Korean sanatoriums and medical facilities.

Deputy Foreign Minister Rudenko arrived in Pyongyang on the 14th, completed his visit schedule, and returned on the 18th. He said, "I just returned from Pyongyang yesterday," adding, "Useful negotiations were held with North Korean friends on bilateral cooperation and a wide range of international and regional issues." He continued, "Currently, in Moscow, a joint chair meeting of the Russia-North Korea Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, and Scientific-Technical Cooperation is taking place."

In this regard, the Korean Central News Agency reported that a North Korean delegation led by Yun Jong-ho, Minister of External Economic Relations and chairman of the North Korean side of the commission, departed Pyongyang on the 17th.

Deputy Foreign Minister Rudenko expressed gratitude to North Korea for firmly supporting Russia's 'special military operation' in Ukraine, stating, "The joint efforts of Russia and North Korea to further expand and strengthen various cooperations will be in the interests of the peoples of both countries."

Shin Hong-chul, North Korean Ambassador to Russia, said, "We will stand with the Russian military and people until the final victory," and added, "The development of friendly relations with Russia is North Korea's unwavering position."