The strengthening of the alliance between North Korea and Russia appears to have already borne fruit.
The hermit regime is believed to have begun transferring artillery to Russia, the supplies of which are being tested by the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the transfer, reported by a US official to CBS News, was part of a newly-agreed, long-term supply chain or a limited boost.
The alleged delivery would come weeks after Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin held a rare in-person summit in Russia last month.
In mid-September, the North Korean dictator undertook a tour of Russia via his armoured train.
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While it isn’t known whether, during their meeting, Putin and Kim discussed an arms deal, the Kremlin informed the world of the gifts exchanged by the pair.
The Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian leader gave Kim a “rifle from our production of the highest quality” as well as a “glove from a space suit that has been to space several times”.
In return, Putin also received a North Korean-made rifle, the Kremlin stated.
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The meeting followed a reported exchange of letters between the two leaders as well as a visit to Pyongyang by Russian Defence Secretary Sergei Shoigu.
During this trip that coincided with the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice, Mr Shoigu pitched the possibility of increasing the sale of munitions to Moscow, US intelligence claimed in August.
While the terms of the likely arms deal between Kim and Putin are not known, the North Korean leader is expected to have asked his Russian counterpart for food and cash for the impoverished country.
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But Kim is also likely to be on the lookout for space technology, as North Korea is trying – so far without success – to send a spy satellite into orbit.
The project is believed to be of key importance for Kim, who sees a spy satellite as necessary to spy on his country’s mortal enemies – Washington and Seoul.
While Russia may be bolstering its weapon reserves, Ukraine is set to receive from the US a cache of ammunition seized from Iran.
Moreover, German arms company Rheinmetall announced today it has booked an order for tens of thousands of 155mm shells for Ukraine, to be delivered in 2024.
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