Moscow’s top security official, Sergei Shoigu, arrived in Pyongyang on Wednesday, where he will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for talks, Russian media reported.
Shoigu, who is the Secretary of Russia’s Security Council, arrived on orders from Russian President Vladimir Putin, the state-run TASS news agency reported, with RIA Novosti saying it expected current affairs, “including the situation surrounding Ukraine,” to be on the agenda.
Wednesday's visit is Shoigu's second to Pyongyang in less than three months.
Russia and North Korea have drawn closer in recent years, with Pyongyang sending troops and weapons to support Moscow's war against Ukraine.
Pyongyang has defended its military cooperation with Russia, saying on Monday that ties were aimed at “ensuring peace and stability” in Europe and Asia.
Around 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed and thousands more wounded fighting for Russia, according to South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun, citing the country's intelligence service.
Russia and North Korea signed a sweeping military deal last year, including a mutual defense clause, during a rare visit by Putin to the nuclear-armed North.
Shoigu last visited Pyongyang in March, when he hailed the deal as “fully meeting the interests of both countries.”
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