CNN
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is scheduled to visit North Korea this weekend, as signs that North Korea will deepen relations between Moscow and Pyongyang as it is drawn into Russia’s war in Ukraine.
According to the Russian state media agency TASS, Maria Zakhalova, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, “Lavrov will visit South Korea from July 11 to July 13th and July 11 to July 13th.”
North Korean provincial news agency KCNA reported on Wednesday that Lavrov will visit Pyongyang’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs “invitation”.
Lavrov’s trip is at a critical time for South Korea relations in northern Russia, and Pyongyang is expected to deploy another 25,000 to 30,000 soldiers to support the scaled attacks in Moscow, according to the Ukrainian intelligence news, which was added to the estimated 11,000 soldiers Payongin sent last year.
It also comes as the US is increasingly unhappy with Russia. US President Donald Trump has accused his counterpart Vladimir Putin of throwing “Bursh*t” in peace talks and vowed to more support for Ukraine.
The trip could further strengthen the alliance, which could reshape the security dynamics of Asia, as well as wars in Ukraine.
According to Tas, while in North Korea, Lavrov will be sitting with Cho’s son Hui. At the time, Lavrov praised what he called “very close contact” with North Korea’s military and intelligence agency. Lavrov could meet with North Korean leader Kim Jongun.
Despite maintaining significant losses on the battlefield, North Korea is increasingly integrated into the Russian war. An estimated 4,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or injured in Russia, Western officials said.
On the ground in the Russian border area of Kursk, where North Korean soldiers repelled Ukraine’s invasion last year, the hidden state soldiers, alongside Russian troops, are reportedly living in dugouts, fighting and dying.
Satellite images obtained by CNN show cargo planes and military transports traveling between North Korea and Russia, suggesting major military logistics ongoing.
Although it faces shortages on the frontline, even if its own factories work 24 hours a day, Russia relies on North Korea for additional weapons.
The North Korean artillery training manual has been translated into Russian, in both the ubiquitous nature of weapons and the increased interoperability between the forces of Moscow and Pyongyang. A report from UN member states last month said Pyongyang had sent at least 100 ballistic missiles and nine million shells to Russia in 2024.
Russia has stepped up its air attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks, launching a record 728 drones and 13 missiles on Wednesday. On Thursday, Russian drones attacked the capital Kiev from all directions with an obvious new tactic to test Ukraine’s tense defense.
