Russian students from Kursk send paper boats to thank N. Korean soldiers: KCNA
Students from Russia's Kursk region float paper lantern boats in the Taedong River in Pyongyang, Oct 21, in this photo from the Korean Central News Agency the next day. Yonhap
Russian students from the Kursk region have sent paper boats to thank North Korean soldiers who fought for Russia in the war against Ukraine and to mourn their deaths, the North's state media reported Wednesday.
Students from a school affiliated with the Russian Embassy in North Korea launched paper lantern boats carrying messages honoring the memory of war heroes and wishing for their "eternal life" in the Daedong River the previous day, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
The messages attached to the paper boats included "Thank you," "We will prevail" and "Friendship forever," written in both Korean and Russian, according to the KCNA.
Russian Ambassador to North Korea Alexandr Matsegora and other embassy officials also attended the event.
Since October last year, North Korea has deployed 15,000 troops to Russia in support of its war with Ukraine, helping Russian forces reclaim territory in Kursk in April.
Of the North Korean troops, around 2,000 are believed to have been killed in action, according to South Korean intelligence authorities.
The troop deployment has cemented cooperative relations between the two countries, reportedly prompting Russia to provide economic and other support to resource-scarce North Korea in return.