ISTANBUL

Russia’s top security official Sergey Shoygu arrived in Pyongyang to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Russian state media reported Friday.

Shoygu, who heads Russia’s Security Council, has made multiple trips to North Korea in recent months, though details of his latest visit were not disclosed, according to TASS News.

His visit comes as South Korea continues to allege that North Korea has sent thousands of soldiers to support Russia in its war against Ukraine—claims that both Moscow and Pyongyang have not confirmed.

At the same time, a North Korean delegation led by External Economic Relations Minister Yun Jong Ho is currently visiting Russia.

Shoygu’s trip also coincides with a thaw in US-Russia relations. Since Donald Trump took office as US president in January, Moscow and Washington have reportedly made moves toward normalizing ties and negotiating a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Recently, Russia has dispatched envoys to several "friendly" countries, reportedly to reassure them that Moscow will not shift its foreign policy focus even if ties with Washington normalize.