In an unprecedented moment during Russia’s Victory Day parade, President Vladimir Putin publicly embraces North Korean generals leading thousands of troops on the frontlines in Kursk. This shocking display confirms the deepening alliance between Russia and North Korea in the war against Ukraine.

At a training site in Russia, the five North Korean soldiers had grins on their faces and guns in their hands. Then they began singing a cappella, belting out a Soviet-era song called “Katyusha" about a young woman bidding farewell to soldiers—in translated Korean-language lyrics.