The ceremony, scheduled for mid-April, will coincide with the inauguration of a newly built memorial museum dedicated to troops killed during overseas deployment, particularly in Russia’s Kursk region, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

South Korean officials estimate that around 2,000 North Korean troops have been killed since Pyongyang deployed thousands of personnel, along with missiles and munitions, to support Moscow’s war effort. North Korea confirmed last year that its forces were engaged in combat operations abroad and had suffered casualties.

Leader Kim Jong Un has overseen preparations for the ceremony and inspected the nearly completed museum, which state media said is 97% finished. KCNA reported that Kim praised the project as a symbol of “heroism” and described it as a site for promoting patriotism and commemorating the fallen.

Analysts say North Korea’s support for Russia has been reciprocated through financial assistance, food supplies, energy resources and military technology transfers, helping Pyongyang mitigate the impact of international sanctions imposed over its nuclear weapons program.

The burial ceremony will mark the first anniversary of what state media described as the “liberation operations” in Kursk, underscoring Pyongyang’s alignment with Moscow’s narrative of the conflict.

Kim has previously presided over similar commemorative events, with state media releasing images showing him paying respects to fallen soldiers, including ceremonies involving flag-draped coffins and interactions with returning troops.

In a statement, the ministry said the talks focused on what it described as a “military-political crisis” triggered by U.S.-Israeli actions against Iran, and included an exchange of views on shifting the conflict toward a political and diplomatic track grounded in international law.

The Russian side also briefed Iran on a recent shipment of humanitarian aid, according to the statement. Moscow and Tehran have previously signed a strategic partnership agreement spanning political, economic, military and energy cooperation, though it does not include a mutual defense clause.

At a Group of Seven meeting, European foreign ministers raised concerns with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Russia may be assisting Iran in targeting U.S. forces in the region.

Two Western security sources and a regional official close to Tehran told Reuters that Russia had provided satellite imagery and technical support to enhance Iranian drone capabilities, drawing on systems used by Moscow in its conflict in Ukraine.

Russia has deployed Iranian-designed drones in its war in Ukraine, underscoring growing defense cooperation between the two countries.

The latest diplomatic engagement comes amid intensifying hostilities across the Middle East and mounting international calls to contain the conflict through negotiations.