Parades, panaceas and a sunken ship: North Korea-Russia cooperation grows

This week on the NK News Podcast, Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin talks about the expanding North Korea-Russia relationship — from military pageantry in Moscow to drone training in Russia’s Far East and a mysterious shipwreck off Spain’s coast. Anton breaks down the significance of North Korean soldiers marching through Red Square for the first time during Russia’s Victory Day parade, what their appearance says about Moscow’s shifting alliances and why Kim Jong Un skipped the event despite expectations that he may eventually visit Russia again. The discussion also covers a DPRK delegation’s visit to a Russian drone training facility, where officials observed UAV operations amid growing North Korean interest in battlefield drones and potential lessons from the war in Ukraine. Later, the episode turns to North Korean pharmaceutical exports to Russia, including Kumdang-5, a ginseng-based pill marketed as a cure-all remedy, and the sanctions questions raised by DPRK-made traditional medicines appearing on Russian online marketplaces. Finally, Anton walks through the still-unresolved mystery of the Ursa Major, a Russian military-linked vessel that sank off Spain in late 2024.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Alannah Hill exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.