MOSCOW: .North Korean leader Kim Jong Un left Russia on Sunday, ending a visit that reaffirmed close ties with Vladimir Putin and fuelled Western fears that Pyongyang could provide Moscow with weapons for its attack on Ukraine.
Kim’s extended tour of Russia’s far eastern region, which began on Tuesday, focused heavily on military matters, with his own entourage dominated by officers, a symbolic exchange of rifles with Putin and a tour of the Komsomolsk-on-Amur fighter jet factory.
Before the flight, TASS reported that Kim received five explosive drones, a reconnaissance drone and a body armor as a gift from the regional governor.
The Russian agency said that “the leader of the DPRK received five kamikaze drones and a ‘Geran-25’ vertical launch reconnaissance drone, using the official name North Korea.”
TASS reported that the governor of the Primorye region, which borders China and North Korea, also “offered Kim Jong Un a body armor kit” and “special clothing that cannot be detected by thermal cameras.”
Later on Sunday, Ria Novosti released a video of Kim’s departure and said a “departure ceremony” was held at Artyom-Primorskij-1 station.
Footage shows Kim waving goodbye from his train to a Russian delegation led by Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov ahead of Russia’s “Farewell Slavians” march as the train departs.
The official TASS news agency said Kim’s train was heading about 250 kilometers (155 miles) to the border.
Historical allies Russia and North Korea are under a series of global sanctions – Moscow for attacking Ukraine, Pyongyang for nuclear tests.
The North Korean leader’s first official visit abroad since the coronavirus pandemic fuelled Western fears that Moscow and Pyongyang will defy sanctions and strike an arms deal.
After meeting Kim on Wednesday at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, some 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles) from Moscow, Putin spoke of the prospect of greater cooperation with North Korea and the “possibilities” of military ties.
Moscow is believed to be interested in buying North Korean munitions to continue fighting in Ukraine, while Pyongyang wants Russia’s help in developing its internationally condemned missile program.
