Reuters. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was seen showing off his country’s military weapons, including banned ballistic missiles, to Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu who is on a rare visit to the isolated state, state media reported on Thursday (July 27).
In photographs provided by KCNA, Kim could be seen giving Shoigu and the Russian delegation a tour of the North's ballistic missiles in multi-axle transporter launchers at a military expo. Another image showed what analysts said appeared to be a new drone.
Shoigu and a Chinese delegation, including a Politburo member, arrived in North Korea this week for the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War, celebrated in North Korea as "Victory Day."
Shoigu handed Kim a letter from Russian President Vladimir Putin, the media said. Kim in turn thanked Putin for sending a military delegation led by Shoigu, adding the meeting deepened the "strategic and traditional DPRK (North Korea)-Russia relations."
Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu called North Korea "an important partner" for Russia as he met with North Korea defence minister Kang Sun-nam in Pyongyang.
The missiles displayed were banned under U.N. Security Council resolutions adopted with Russian and Chinese support but the visit provides a striking backdrop for a show of solidarity by the three countries united by their rivalry with the U.S.
