(MENAFN) A high-level delegation from North Korea’s premier military institution has embarked on a trip to Russia, signaling a further deepening of defense cooperation between the two nations, according to state media on Tuesday.

The group, led by Kim Kum-chol, the president of the prestigious Kim Il Sung Military University, departed Pyongyang the day before and is heading to the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia, as reported by media.

While the specific objectives of the visit remain undisclosed, it is believed to focus on enhancing military educational exchanges between the two countries' armed forces.

This move comes just days after Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu’s second visit to Pyongyang in under two weeks. Shoigu’s trip coincides with growing military collaboration between Russia and North Korea.

Kim Kum-chol previously visited Russia in July 2024, shortly after the signing of a mutual defense pact between North Korea and Russia the month before.

In December, Kim was added to the U.S. sanctions list for his role in North Korea's backing of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as noted by a news agency.

Kim Il Sung Military University, named after North Korea's late founder, serves as a primary training ground for the country’s military leadership.

In related news, a North Korean broadcaster aired somber footage of leader Kim Jong Un grieving over fallen North Korean soldiers believed to have been killed in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The broadcast, released by media, depicted Kim respectfully draping a North Korean flag over a coffin during a solemn ceremony marking the return of the remains of North Korean soldiers who had been deployed to the frontlines.

South Korea’s intelligence services have indicated that North Korea may send additional troops to Russia in the coming two months.

This follows the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers to assist Russian forces after Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a strategic partnership deal in Pyongyang in June 2024.

Russian security chief Shoigu recently confirmed that North Korea plans to send 6,000 personnel to Russia. This group will include 1,000 combat engineers and 5,000 military construction specialists, who will assist with mine clearance and rebuilding efforts in the Kursk region near the Ukrainian border.

In April, South Korea’s spy agency reported that North Korea had likely sustained around 4,700 casualties while fighting alongside Russian troops in Ukraine, with at least 600 confirmed fatalities.

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