Kim Jong-un’s train crosses border with Russia

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s train crossed the border into Russia on Tuesday, where he plans to hold a summit with President Vladimir Putin, according to South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense and Russian state television. .

According to a brief text sent to the media by a spokesperson for the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the train crossed the Tuman River Friendship Bridge, the only land transportation route that connects both countries, “early in the morning”. (local time) today.

Official North Korean and Russian sources still do not confirm when and where the meeting between the two leaders will take place, which is expected to take place this Wednesday in the city of Vladivostok, in the Russian Far East and during which, according to Anglo-Saxon information. Saxon media, It is believed that the two countries could agree to an exchange of weapons and military resources.

It is currently unclear whether the relevant modifications have been made to Kim Jong-un’s train so that it can run on Russian railways (the gauge of which is different from that used in North Korea), a procedure that can take hours since the The convoy that usually carries Kim Jong-un is made up of a large number of cars.

According to North Korean media, the train, heavily armored and traveling at very low speed, initially left Pyongyang for Russia on Sunday afternoon (local time).

From the North Korean capital to the border bridge over the Tuman River there are about 560 kilometers, while from Khasan, the first Russian station across the border, to Vladivostok there are another 200 kilometers of track shod.

According to photos published by North Korean media, Kim is accompanied by Foreign and Defense Ministers Choe Son-hui and Kang Sun-nam and senior military officials, including Director of the Munitions Industrial Department Jo Chun-ryong.

Also among the members of the delegation is Pak Thae-song, secretary for science and education of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party, linked to the North Korean space program.

Last week, the New York Times reported that Putin wants North Korea to sell Russia artillery and anti-tank missiles that Moscow could use in Ukraine, while Pyongyang wants satellite propulsion technology or nuclear power for submarines, as well as food aid. EFE