Kim arrives in Russia’s Far East, set to visit aircraft plant

SEOUL — North Korean leader Kim Jong-un headed straight to an aircraft plant that builds fighter jets after arriving in Russia’s Far Eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur on Friday, following his rare summit with President Vladimir Putin earlier this week, according to media reports.

Kim arrived at a railway station in the city earlier in the day and was welcomed in accordance with traditions for a special guest, Yonhap News Agency quoted local Russian media outlets as saying.

The Russian city has two aircraft plants, the Yuri Gagarin Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant, which is named after the first person in space, and the Yakovlev plant, which had been known as Irkut.

Russia’s state-run news agency Tass said the Yuri Gagarin plant produces advanced warplanes, including Su-35 and Su-57 fighter jets.

The Yakovlev plant builds short-haul passenger airliners.

Kim is expected to visit more cities in Russia after Wednesday’s summit at the Vostochny spaceport has raised concerns over the expansion of military cooperation between the increasingly isolated countries, including the prospects of Pyongyang sending more ammunition to Moscow for use in the war in Ukraine.

Putin earlier said Kim will also travel to Vladivostok to view Russia’s Pacific Fleet.

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