Many Russian specialists have gone to North Korea to help develop its reconnaissance satellite, which it plans to launch into orbit soon.
North Korea is jointly developing a spy satellite with Russia
The Kremlin sent its specialists to North Korea as Putin met with leader Kim Jong Un last September and pledged to help North Korea with its space program.
Since that meeting, North Korea has conducted numerous tests of rocket engines. Presumably, they were created according to Russian standards.
Last week, Japanese and South Korean media reported that the authorities noticed signs of a satellite launch at the North Korean Space centre.
North Korea last launched a rocket in November 2023 to launch its first spy satellite. Pyongyang has ambitions to launch three more spy satellites.
What is known about cooperation between Russia and North Korea
In January 2023, the US released evidence that North Korea had been supplying Russia with weapons since at least November 2022.
The chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU), Lt Gen Kyrylo Budanov, stated at the beginning of 2024 that Nortj Korea is now the largest supplier of weapons to Russia. In return, Russia helps North Korea with food and space technology.
At the beginning of 2024, Western media wrote that Russia received a batch of ballistic missiles from North Korea (several dozen) and launchers for them. At the same time, the USA officially declared that the Russian Federation has short-range ballistic missiles from North Korea and launched them over Ukraine.
On January 10, South Korea's envoy to the UN said that North Korea uses Ukraine as a testing ground for its ballistic missiles with the help of Russia.
On February 23, 2024, the DIU announced that North Korea had transferred one and a half million artillery ammunition to Russia.
