Russia’s Shoigu Visits North Korea for Talks With Kim Jong Un

Russia’s top security official, Sergei Shoigu, arrived in North Korea on Wednesday, June 4, for talks with leader Kim Jong Un, Russian news agencies reported.

Shoigu is visiting Pyongyang on orders from President Vladimir Putin, according to the state news agency TASS. RIA Novosti said the talks would likely cover current global issues, including the war in Ukraine.

This is Shoigu’s second trip to North Korea in less than three months – he has already visited Pyongyang in March. At that time, he said the deal “fully meets the interests of both countries.”

Since 2022, Moscow and Pyongyang have deepened economic and military cooperation, marked by a mutual defense treaty signed last November.

Last year, North Korea sent 12,000 soldiers to support Russia’s war in Ukraine, followed by an additional 3,000 this year. The troops supported Moscow’s counteroffensive in Kursk, a western Russian region where Kyiv troops launched a surprise incursion last August and suffered heavy casualties, according to reports.

Pyongyang has also emerged as a key military supplier to Russia in its war against Ukraine. Between August 2023 and March 2025, at least 64 shipments were identified.

During that time, North Korea sent over 15,800 containers to Russia, containing an estimated 4.2 to 5.8 million rounds of ammunition. The shipments also included a significant number of short-range ballistic missiles, 170mm self-propelled howitzers, and roughly 220 units of 240mm multiple rocket launch systems.

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North Korea has defended its military support, saying the cooperation is meant to “ensure peace and stability” in both Europe and Asia.