North Korean children marched alongside their Russian peers in a military-themed parade in Vladivostok, Russian officials said Sunday.

The parade commemorated the upcoming Victory Day, celebrated on May 9 in Russia, and came a week after Moscow and Pyongyang acknowledged that North Korean troops were deployed to the southwestern Kursk region to help fight off a Ukrainian offensive.

Video shared by Primorye region Governor Oleg Kozhemyako showed children in military uniforms marching through Vladivostok’s central square beneath May 9 banners.

North Korean children, wearing red and blue jackets and red pioneer-style neckerchiefs, stood on a podium flanked by adults, part of what Kozhemyako called a youth corps scheduled to perform for the Russian audience the following day.

“This first children’s parade in Primorye is a tribute of deep respect to the heroic deeds of the defenders of the fatherland,” Kozhemyako told the crowd. He said children of soldiers currently deployed to Ukraine also took part in the event.

“I’m also happy to welcome the delegation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” he added. “It’s a great honor for us to invite children from the neighboring friendly state.”

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for sending troops to support Russian forces in the Kursk region.

Japanese media earlier reported that North Korean troops may also march in the Victory Day parade on Red Square this week. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to confirm or deny those reports.

(c)MOSCOW TIMES 2025