The odd expression of gratitude from Moscow has seen more than 70 animals, including a lion and two brown bears sent from the capital’s zoo to the North Korean capital of Pyongyang
Vladamir Putin has sent zoo animals to North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un as a bizarre thank you gift for the dictator sending 8,000 soldiers to fight for Russia in Ukraine.
The odd expression of gratitude from Moscow has seen more than 70 animals, including a lion and two brown bears sent from the capital’s zoo to the North Korean capital of Pyongyang.
The creatures are said to be a “a gift from Putin to the Korean people” according to Alexander Kozlov, Russia’s natural resources minister, who oversaw the unusual relocation.
Images released by the Russian government showed a white cockatoo travelling in a crate, as Mr Kozlov received a tour of the Korean zoo from local officials.
This is not the first time the Russian government has sent animals to North Korea. In April, a number of birds including eagles and parrots, were gifted to the secretive nation, with the two countries signing a mutual defence treaty in June.
Kim Jong-Un showed his support of Russia, deploying 10,000 troops to the Ukrainian border after Russia suffered more than 600,000 casualties.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Russia has been training North Korean soldiers in artillery, drones and “basic infantry operations, including trench clearing, indicating that they fully intend to use these forces in front line operations”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters that North Korean officers and technical personnel have already been spotted in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.
“I believe they sent officers first to assess the situation before deploying troops,” Zelensky said. He has cautioned that the participation of a third country could escalate the conflict into a world war.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has said North Korean troops are wearing Russian uniforms and carrying Russian equipment as they advance toward Ukraine, in what he called a dangerous and destabilising development.