Sergei Shoigu, Russian President Vladimir Putin's chief security adviser, has arrived in North Korea, where he is expected to meet with leader Kim Jong Un, according to the TASS news agency on Friday. His visit comes as Moscow and Pyongyang strengthen their security cooperation.

The TASS report provided no additional details, and North Korea’s state-run media has yet to confirm Shoigu’s arrival.

Meanwhile, U.S. and South Korean officials claim that North Korea has sent over 10,000 troops to fight in Russia’s eastern Kursk region and supplied heavy weaponry, including artillery and ballistic missiles. In return, Pyongyang is believed to have received military and civilian technology, along with economic aid from Moscow.

While neither Russia nor North Korea has officially acknowledged these deployments, both nations have emphasized their continued implementation of a strategic partnership treaty signed in June last year, which includes a mutual defense agreement.