North Korea Leader Visits Aviation Plant in Russian Far East Town

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un arrives at the Vostochny Cosmodrome to hold a summit with President Vladimir Putin (dpa)
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un arrives at the Vostochny Cosmodrome to hold a summit with President Vladimir Putin (dpa)
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North Korea Leader Visits Aviation Plant in Russian Far East Town

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un arrives at the Vostochny Cosmodrome to hold a summit with President Vladimir Putin (dpa)
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un arrives at the Vostochny Cosmodrome to hold a summit with President Vladimir Putin (dpa)

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Friday morning arrived at a Russian industrial city to visit a military aviation factory, as part of his days-long trip to Russia, Russian agencies reported.

TASS news agency said the North Korean leader arrived by train in the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur to visit an aviation plant. Interfax for its part indicated that Kim was to visit a company in the aviation sector producing “combat and civilian equipment.”

Kim's visit to Russia is his first official trip abroad since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out.

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim held a summit at the Vostochny cosmodrome, where they visited the site and met for about two hours for talks on enhancing relationships, particularly at the military level.

On Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Kim's far east visit will last a few more days, without giving further details.

Putin said on television that Kim will visit factories where civilian and combat aviation equipment is produced in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

“There is also a military component in Vladivostok... to demonstrate the capabilities of the Pacific Fleet,” Putin told state media. Kim had visited the Russian city in 2019.



Zelenskiy Presents New Joint Forces Commander to Ukraine Troops

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy listens to Ukrainian service members during his visit to a frontline, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the city of Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine June 26, 2024. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy listens to Ukrainian service members during his visit to a frontline, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the city of Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine June 26, 2024. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)
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Zelenskiy Presents New Joint Forces Commander to Ukraine Troops

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy listens to Ukrainian service members during his visit to a frontline, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the city of Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine June 26, 2024. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy listens to Ukrainian service members during his visit to a frontline, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the city of Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine June 26, 2024. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy presented the new joint forces commander on Wednesday to troops defending the eastern frontline region of Donetsk.

Zelenskiy announced on Monday he was appointing Brigadier-General Andriy Hnatov to the post, which involves strategic planning of operations, replacing Lieutenant-General Yuri Sodol who had faced criticism over serious military setbacks.

Hnatov's main tasks include "preserving as many fighters' lives as possible" while repelling the invading Russian forces, Zelenskiy said in a video address posted on social media.

One of his meetings during the trip addressed security and support for the people of the Donetsk region, including water provision, social issues and evacuation, Zelenskiy said on the Telegram messaging app.

Zelenskiy recorded the video address against the backdrop of a city sign of Pokrovsk, along part of the front that has seen some of the most intense fighting during Russia's 28-month-long full-scale invasion.

In the video, he expressed surprise that some relevant government officials had not visited the region in six months or more.

"There will be a separate conversation in Kyiv, particularly with officials who must be here and in other areas near the frontline – in difficult communities where people need immediate solutions," Zelenskiy said. "Solutions that simply cannot be seen from Kyiv."

Zelenskiy and his army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi also listened to reports from frontline positions.

Ukraine's military has found itself on the back foot this spring as Russian forces opened a new front in the northeastern region of Kharkiv in May and continued to press Ukrainian forces in other directions.