Last fall, reports surfaced that Pyongyang had sent soldiers to support Russia in its war against Ukraine. Even as the evidence kept piling up, official Russian and North Korean sources remained silent. That is, until a few days ago. In what was almost certainly a coordinated move, first Moscow, then Pyongyang, officially acknowledged that North Korean troops had fought in the war. Novaya Gazeta Europe spoke to regional experts and political analysts to understand why they chose to go public now. Meduza shares an abridged English-language version of the outlet’s reporting.