Russian defense chief will visit North Korea this week to ‘strengthen’ military ties

A military delegation from Russia is set to visit North Korea this week.

Led by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, the delegation will visit North Korea from July 25 to 27, ahead of state celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War.

“This visit will help strengthen Russian-North Korean military ties and will be an important stage in the development of cooperation between the two countries,” the Russian ministry said on Telegram.

The relationship between Moscow and Pyongyang has remained warm amid the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine, which has isolated Russia from most Western countries. Last year, Russia bought millions of artillery shells and rockets from North Korea, hinting at the Kremlin’s supply-chain issues for its military effort, the New York Times reported.

Western sanctions have hampered Russia’s ability to buy weapons and electronics, forcing Moscow to turn to countries such as North Korea and Iran for supplies.

The news of Shoigu’s visit comes a day after it was reported that China would also send a high-level delegation to Pyongyang for the celebrations, in the first acknowledged trip since the country closed off its borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic.