North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected Russian nuclear-capable strategic bombers and hypersonic missiles on Saturday during a tour of Russia’s eastern region.
Kim was shown state-of-the-art bombers and warplanes by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Cruise missiles and automatic artillery systems were demonstrated to the North Korean leader, according to a statement from the Russian defense ministry.
Kim began his visit in Russia by holding a summit on Wednesday with Russian leader Vladimir Putin amid concerns that Moscow is seeking to buy artillery ammunition from North Korea for its invasion of Ukraine, in exchange for military technology.
The U.S. warned it “won’t hesitate” to impose more sanctions on the two countries if they conclude a new arms deal.
Moscow seeks to deepen ties with Pyongyang against the backdrop of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, which has isolated the Kremlin and left it hunting for allies — and military equipment — in other ostracized capitals.
