Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will embark on a three-day visit to North Korea starting Friday, state media announced, marking another step in the rapidly warming relationship between Moscow and Pyongyang amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.

North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency reported that Lavrov was invited by the country’s Foreign Ministry, though details on whether he will meet leader Kim Jong Un remain undisclosed. The visit follows a June trip by Russia’s security chief, Sergei Shoigu, who met Kim and revealed North Korea’s plan to send thousands of military construction workers and deminers to Russia’s war-ravaged Kursk region. South Korea’s spy agency estimates this deployment could begin as early as July or August.

Kim has bolstered Russia’s war efforts with thousands of combat troops, artillery, and ballistic missiles. This deepening military cooperation was publicly acknowledged in April when both nations confirmed North Korean soldiers fought alongside Russian forces to counter a Ukrainian incursion in Kursk. Estimates from South Korea, the U.S., and Ukraine suggest North Korea sent 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia last fall, with an additional 3,000 to 4,000 deployed earlier this year.

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Lavrov’s trip, which follows his attendance at an ASEAN meeting in Malaysia, may include discussions about a potential visit by Kim to Russia. His last North Korea visit in June 2024 accompanied President Vladimir Putin, where the two nations signed a strategic partnership agreement promising mutual support against aggression.

Concerns are mounting among U.S., South Korean, and Japanese officials that North Korea could gain advanced technology transfers from Russia, potentially enhancing its military nuclear program. As Moscow and Pyongyang deepen their alliance, the international community watches closely for the implications of this growing partnership.

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