In yet another indication of the growing ties between Moscow and Pyongyang, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave more than 70 animals, including a lion and two brown bears, to North Korea’s major zoo.
Alexander Kozlov, Putin’s environment minister, transported the animals to the North Korean capital aboard a cargo plane, according to a statement sent by Kozlov’s office on its official Telegram channel on Wednesday.
According to Kozlov’s office, the Moscow-sourced animal consignment also contained Mandarin ducks, two yaks, five cockatoos, and dozens of pheasants.
Weeks after the United States and South Korea disclosed that North Korea had deployed thousands of troops to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine, the gift was made.
