Kim Jong Un, Putin Shake Hands Before Meet At Russian Spaceport

While Kim was out of the country, North Korea fired two ballistic missiles on Wednesday, the South Korean military said, the latest in a string of sanctions-busting tests.

Accompanied by an entourage that suggested a strong military focus for the summit, the North Korean leader has travelled overland to Russia in his bullet-proof train, the official Korean Central News Agency reported.

While Kim was out of the country, North Korea fired two ballistic missiles on Wednesday, the South Korean military said, the latest in a string of sanctions-busting tests.

Kim thanked Putin for inviting him to visit, despite the Russian leader's "busy schedule", having earlier stressed the trip -- his first post-pandemic foreign travel -- showed North Korea was "prioritising the strategic importance" of its Russia ties.