Overview

• Sergei Shoigu, Russia's top security adviser, has arrived in North Korea to meet with Kim Jong Un, continuing efforts to strengthen bilateral ties.
• The Russia-North Korea strategic partnership treaty, signed in June 2024, includes a mutual defense pact obligating mutual support in the event of an attack.
• North Korea is alleged to have deployed nearly 11,000 troops and supplied heavy weapons, including artillery and ballistic missiles, to aid Russia in Ukraine, though both nations deny these claims.
• Russia is reportedly close to retaking the Kursk region, where North Korean troops are alleged to have been deployed during the conflict.
• In return for its alleged support, North Korea is believed to have received military technology, civilian aid, and economic assistance from Russia.