Signs that North Korea is making preparations for a visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin as early as this week were confirmed at a Pyongyang airport, with planes completely cleared from the tarmac, according to a report Wednesday based on satellite imagery.
NK News, a website that provides news and analysis on North Korea, said the removal of planes is rare and normally associated with visits by a foreign leader, but it could be intended to "make room for Putin's advance team."
The Russian leader plans to visit North Korea and Vietnam in the next few weeks, Russian newspaper Vedomosti reported Monday, citing a diplomatic source. It added he will likely go to North Korea first.
Reuters has quoted an official in Vietnam as saying Putin's trip to Hanoi was planned for June 19-20 but has not yet been confirmed.
NK News also said repaving and renovation work was recently detected at a Russian war monument as well as North Korea's defense ministry campus in Pyongyang, suggesting Putin and the country's leader Kim Jong Un may meet there.
A number of large objects have appeared at Kim Il Sung Square as well, possibly in preparation for an event the two leaders will attend, the website said based on satellite imagery.
Russia and North Korea have been enhancing ties following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, which started in February 2022, with Pyongyang being accused of providing arms to Moscow.
Putin met Kim last September at the Vostochny Cosmodrome space launch center in the Russian Far East. At the time, Kim invited Putin to visit his country, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.
If it goes ahead, Putin's visit to North Korea would be his first since July 2000, when the country was led by Kim's late father, Kim Jong Il.
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