North Korean leader Kim Jong Un kicked off construction of a large cemetery and memorial for soldiers who died in Russia’s war against Ukraine on Thursday, according to state media, where he said the two countries’ “blood ties” outmatched participation in the war by the “U.S. and the West.”

Thousands of military construction workers and troops who fought in Russia — including those who have recovered from injuries — attended the ceremony to build the “Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at Overseas Military Operations.”

Kim gave a blood-themed speech at the event praising the war-forged DPRK-Russia alliance, saying “the solidarity and friendship forged at the cost of their precious blood and lives are really sacred and enduring,” the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Friday.

“Even the transfusion of a huge volume of blood by the United States and its Western bloc” — presumably referring to weapons and other military assistance to Ukraine — “turned out futile in making the righteous blood in the vessels of the two peoples cool, and even the appalling atrocities by fascism could not dampen the phoenix-like fighting spirit and valor,” Kim said.

He added that the alliance’s “militant fraternity … will advance non-stop with the ennobling soul of the great heroes,” and that their joint war effort contributed significantly to “the long-term development of the bilateral friendship at the cost of precious blood.”

The speech comes amid faltering efforts by the U.S. and Ukraine to halt Russia’s invasion, and amid claims by Kyiv that the North Korean military is expanding its assistance in attacks on Ukraine soil.

At a military parade in Pyongyang earlier this month, Kim acknowledged that soldiers are still fighting overseas. 

Kim said the Oct. 23 ceremony marked exactly a year since the last of the initial batch of DPRK soldiers departed for Russia. 

The two countries denied evidence of DPRK soldiers fighting in Russia, and even Russia using North Korean ballistic missiles on Ukrainian civilian centers, for months until finally admitting their joint war effort in April this year.

Pyongyang and Moscow have not disclosed how many soldiers have been deployed in total, but Seoul and Kyiv have said it is over 10,000.

Kim Jong Un then launched a domestic propaganda campaign to glorify the war in August, showing the portraits of at least 250 dead soldiers in state media and presenting their deaths and even battlefield suicides as heroic and necessary in the fight against “fascism.”

South Korean intelligence has claimed a much higher death toll of around 2,000 soldiers, though the true number remains unknown.

Besides serving as a permanent monument to growing Russia ties, Kim added that the memorial will also serve as an important education tool for North Koreans to learn about sacrifice for the state and gain “spiritual growth” as they carry “forward the bloodline of their strong predecessors.”

THE NEW MEMORIAL

On Thursday, Kim Jong Un said soldiers will build “a cemetery, a memorial hall and a monument” in eastern Pyongyang across from the new “Saebyol Street” skyscraper project under construction, where he plans to move all families of dead soldiers.

The Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at Overseas Military Operations (해외군사작전 전투위훈기념관) will include “a monument with group sculptures” depicting war scenes, “photos and fine art works that will give a truthful portrayal of how our combatants waged bloody battles with ardent patriotism,” and “relics of the hard-fought battles.”

“The exhibits will also include those featuring the words [soldiers] said when facing death — the whistles of their soul and the echoes of their life — as well as the last requests they made in reflection of their lifelong desires,” Kim said, according to KCNA.

Artistic renderings of the project were displayed at the event, showing a large white building in neoclassical architectural style surrounded by cemetery lawns with 240 gravestones and featuring a large statue of soldiers in battle. 

NK Pro reported earlier this week that thousands of construction workers started gathering and building a temporary camp to the east of the new Central Cadres Training School between Oct. 18 and 20. The stage structure for Thursday’s groundbreaking ceremony appeared by Oct. 22. 

It now appears that the large size of the workers’ camp is mostly related to the memorial project, though new land clearing nearby at the luxurious Kumsusan State Guesthouse for visiting world leaders this week suggests workers will also be assigned to improving guesthouse facilities.

“After the completion of Saeppyol Street, which is now under construction in the vicinity of this museum, the martyrs will always be near their beloved parents, wives, children and siblings, sharing thoughts and kindred feelings with them,” Kim said Thursday.

Photos of the event showed skyscrapers in the background under construction but nearly complete, buildings that NK Pro previously reported were likely part of the Saebyol Street or Hwasong Street projects.

Kim said Thursday that he initially ordered construction of the memorial at a Central Military Commission (CMC) meeting in late May. State media did not mention the project at the time, though Russia disclosed plans for memorials in both countries in June.

DPRK defense chief No Kwang Chol attended a ceremony in Moscow earlier this month celebrating a new monument to North Korea’s military contributions, while Russia has also hosted exhibitions featuring North Korean war-themed art. 

Edited by Kristen Talman

Updated on Oct. 24 at 12:27 p.m. KST with additional photos from KCTV