The North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un continues his long tour to Russia, where he inspected Moscow’s technical facilities, air bases, and hypersonic missiles in the country’s far east side, Russian media stated. On Saturday, the Governor of the Russian Primorsky region, Oleg Kozhemyako, announced the arrival of Kim Jong in Artyom City, which is about 40 kilometers from Vladivostok. The Governor released a video of Kim’s appearance in the city. The video shows that Kim arrived on his special train, and the children welcomed him by presenting flowers.

N-Korean leader then traveled to Vladivostok airport outside Artyom city, where he met with Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu. The minister and his senior military officials showed Kim the Kremlin’s nuclear-capable strategic bomber and other warplanes. Shoigu also presented Kim with the latest Russian missile, the hypersonic Kinzhal, carried by the MiG-31 fighter jet. According to a Russian news agency, Kim also saw the three strategic bomber aircraft models currently being used in the war against Ukraine. Those planes were Tu-160, Tu-95 and Tu-22M3. The Russian defense minister explained to the N-Korean leader that those planes were capable of flying from Moscow to Japan and then back in a single flight.

Russian officials also showed Kim how the missiles are fired. Kremlin authorities claimed that strategic bombers were one of the essential parts of Russian nuclear forces. Korean Kim started his tour of Russia on Wednesday and met with President Putin at the main Vostochny Сosmodrome Spaceport. He then reappeared at a plane manufacturing plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur city, where Russia’s Su-57 fighter jets and other planes are manufactured.

N-Korean Leader Saw Su-35’s Demonstration

Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency said that during Kim’s visit to the plant, he expressed that Russian manufacturing was on an advanced level and ready to counter any threats to the nation and admired the Kremlin’s aviation technology. Russian news media highlighted the remarks by Pyongyang’s media. On Friday, the Russian cabinet also released a video in which Kim was looking into the Su-57 fighter jet’s cockpit and listening to the pilot. Kim also witnessed a Su-35’s demonstration flight and beamed and clapped on its landing.

The Russian and Korean leaders talked on several matters during their meeting on Wednesday. They discussed stronger and deeper cooperation between the countries and spoke about the Ukraine war. However, President Putin assured that Kremlin would not violate any of the sanctions imposed on Pyongyang by the United Nations. Recently, on the other hand, the White House has warned that Russia has advanced in taking weapons from North Korea to use them in the war against Ukraine, but till now, even after the meeting, there is nothing concrete regarding the weapons deal.

Kim Might Be Interested In Advance Air Defense

Experts also claim that the North Korean leader’s visit can be the next step in making Pyongyang’s air defense stronger as it possesses old planes sent by the Soviet Union in the 1980s. Kim’s visit to the plant manufacturing and taking a demonstration described his interest in air defense, but there is no explicit declaration of whether he was to make a deal. On Saturday, Kim is also scheduled to visit Russian naval ships.

Regional Governor Mikhail Degtyarev posted on Twitter that the Russian and N-Korean ancestors fought together against Japanese militarism, and the Kremlin supported North Korea in its fight against America in 1950. He expressed that in this current situation of collective pressure from the whole West, they stand united against that. Western nations and Japan have shown some concerns about an expected special deal between Pyongyang’s and Russian leaders.

Last Thursday evening, the national security advisers of the United States, South Korea, and Japan held a phone conversation. During the talk, they expressed their “serious reservations” regarding potential weapons deals between North Korea and Russia. The advisers warned that if the two countries proceeded with such arrangements, they would “pay a clear price.”