Kim Jong-un visits Russian aircraft plants in Far East

MOSCOW (AA) – Continuing his Russia visit after his meeting with President Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Friday visited aircraft plants in the Russian Far East.

Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov is accompanying Kim on his trip, the Russian government press service said in a statement.

In the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Kim visited one of Russia’s “leading aircraft production facilities,” according to Manturov, a plant where Russian Su-35 and Su-57 fighter jets and civil passenger planes SJ-100 are produced.

“We see the potential for cooperation both in the field of aircraft construction and in other industries,” the service cited Manturov as saying.

US officials have said they fear North Korea providing artillery and rockets to Russia to fuel its ongoing war on Ukraine, now over 18 months old.

On Tuesday Kim came to Russia at Putin’s invitation and they held talks at the Vostochny Cosmodrome.

Kim's visit has “official” status, one of the highest categories in protocol practice.

Russia is the first country that the North Korean leader has visited since early 2020, the start of the pandemic, during which the country's borders were closed.

Before that, he came to Russia in April 2019, and he and Putin held talks in Vladivostok, their first meeting.