Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded medals to North Korean commanders in charge of Pyongyang’s troop deployment in an unreported ceremony late last year, NK News analysis shows, following his meeting with some of the generals at Moscow’s Red Square during May 9 celebrations.

The award ceremony took place likely in Moscow on Dec. 3, 2025, according to an analysis of a Korean Central Television (KCTV) broadcast and state media photos of a new war museum North Korea built to honor soldiers who fought against Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk on April 27.

The museum with adjacent memorial walls listing the