Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov said Friday during his visit to Pyongyang that Russia's cooperation with North Korea is "expanding" in various areas, including in the military field. His remarks came as Russia and North Korea have been deepening military cooperation under a

The visit came days after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met with a Ukrainian delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and called for the two countries to formulate unspecified countermeasures in response to North Korea’s dispatch of thousands of troops to Russia in support of its war fighting against Ukraine.

The U.S., South Korea and others say North Korea has sent more than 10,000 troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine.