Russian president thanks Kim for ‘unwavering support’ on Ukraine

Putin has opened his talks with Kim by telling him of Moscow’s appreciation for Pyongyang’s support including on Ukraine, Russia’s Tass news agency reports. The Russian president said:

We highly appreciate your consistent and unwavering support for Russian policy, including in the Ukrainian direction.

Russia is fighting “decades of imposed US imperialist policies”, Putin reportedly told Kim.

Nuclear-powered submarines of Russia’s Northern Fleet have launched cruise missiles at sea targets as part of exercises in the Barents Sea, Russian news agencies reported on Wednesday, citing the fleet’s news service. Reuters reports further:

“The nuclear submarine missile cruisers … of Northern Fleet carried out practical missile firing at sea targets in the Barents Sea,” the Tass news agency reported, citing the statement from fleet.

The Severodvinsk and the Orel nuclear-powered submarines fired Kalibr and Granit cruise missiles a distance of about 170 km (106 miles) at a target simulating a detachment of landing ships of a mock enemy, the Interfax news agency reported.

“According to objective control data, the combat exercise was completed successfully,” Interfax said, citing the fleet statement. “The missile weapons used have once again confirmed their inherent characteristics and high reliability.”

The missile firing area was closed in advance to civilian shipping and aviation flights.

The Barents Sea in the Arctic Ocean is located off the northern coasts of Norway and Russia and is divided between Norwegian and Russian territorial waters.

Putin and Kim have now begun their official talks, news wires are reporting, after a welcome ceremony at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang.

Russian media photographs showed soldiers and a large crowd of civilians gathered at the square by the Taedong River running through the capital, including children holding balloons and giant portraits of the two leaders, with national flags adorning the Grand People’s Study Hall.

Wednesday’s agenda includes one-on-one discussions between the two leaders, as well as a gala concert, state reception, honour guards, document signings and a statement to the media, Russia’s Interfax news agency quoted Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov as saying.

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