Russia starts first Moscow-Pyongyang passenger flights in decades, signaling closer ties
In a clear signal of deepening bilateral relations, Russia is set to launch direct passenger flights from Moscow to Pyongyang on July 27, marking the first air connection between the two capitals in decades.
According to Russian aviation blogs, this move follows the June resumption of Moscow–Pyongyang passenger rail service and will be the first time since the mid-1990s that regular air travel links the two cities.
Russia's civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, has authorized a domestic airline to operate flights between Moscow and Pyongyang twice a week. For now, however, service will begin with one flight per month, "to help build stable demand," Reuters reports.
Russia and North Korea have grown increasingly close in recent years, especially as Moscow has faced growing geopolitical isolation following its invasion of Ukraine.
Most recently, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his nation would "unconditionally" support Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine in a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on July 12.
Over the course of the war, Russia and North Korea have intensified their military alliance, with Pyongyang supplying Moscow with troops and weapons. In June 2024, the two countries signed a defense treaty, pledging to provide aid to one another in the event of an attack.
Pyongyang already demonstrated its support in fall 2024 when it deployed around 11,000 soldiers to help Moscow fend off a Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast. Estimates suggest that between 4,000 and 6,000 North Korean soldiers were killed during that deployment.
Now, according to reports from CNN, North Korea is preparing to send an additional 25,000 to 30,000 troops to support Russian forces in Ukraine.
