Russia’s Kursk region has announced it will build a new memorial to celebrate the “brotherly” North Korean soldiers deployed to defend against Ukraine’s incursion, while reporting progress in joint efforts to clear the region of explosives.

The new monument dedicated to “the combat brotherhood of the DPRK and Russia” will be installed at a park in the city of Kursk with “support of the Russian defense ministry,” Governor Alexander Khinshtein said on social media on Thursday.

Kursk has set aside some $500,000 for the park’s ongoing renovation, tasking the local urban design firm Kurskgrazhdanproektwith the project, according to