North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was reported to have publicly ridden in a car gifted to him by Russian President Vladimir Putin, highlighting the strengthening friendship between the two countries, as per state media on Saturday.
The gesture comes in the wake of closer ties between Pyongyang and Moscow following Kim's meeting with Putin in September, during which they pledged to enhance military cooperation. Despite Western accusations of North Korea supplying artillery shells and missiles to Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, both countries deny such claims.
Kim's ride in the Russian Aurus limousine, as reported by state media KCNA, was hailed by his sister Kim Yo Jong as "clear proof of the DPRK-Russia friendship." Kim Jong Un, overseeing air warfare drills on the same day, emphasized the need for "realistic" combat preparation, stressing that only such training could adequately prepare soldiers for actual combat situations.
The joint drills between South Korea and the United States, which concluded earlier in the week, marked the first such exercises since Pyongyang terminated a 2018 inter-Korean military agreement aimed at reducing tensions.
Additionally, Kim attended the opening ceremony of a greenhouse farm on the same day. Photos released by KCNA also showed Kim's daughter, Ju Ae, present at both the drills and the opening ceremony.
