Regular flights from Moscow to Pyongyang were scheduled to start on Sunday night, indicating further strengthening of relations between Russia and North Korea. At the same time, Russia's Navy Day parade was called off due to "security reasons."
The initial non-stop passenger flight from Moscow toPyongyangSince the mid-1990s, a departure occurred on Sunday evening, indicating further strengthening of relations between Russia and North Korea.
An 8-hour, 6,500-kilometer (4,040-mile) journey, managed by the private Russian airline Nordwind Airlines, was scheduled to depart from Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow at 19:00 local time (18:00 CEST).
The Boeing 777-200ER aircraft had all 440 seats sold rapidly, according to Russian state media, with fares priced at 44,700 rubles ($563, €479). Nevertheless, the AFP news agency noted that nine tickets remained available on the airline's official website early Sunday.
The Russian civil aviation agency Rosaviatsia has approved Nordwind Airlines to conduct flights between the two capital cities twice a week, however, the Russian transport ministry mentioned that initially, flights would take place just once a month to "assist in establishing consistent demand."
A flight back from Pyongyang to Moscow is set for Tuesday, as reported by the Russian state news agency TASS.
Earlier, the sole direct air connection between Russia and North Korea was operated by the North Korean airline Air Koryo, flying from Pyongyang toVladivostokthree times a week in Russia's Far East
A non-stop train link between Moscow and Pyongyang was restored on June 17 this year, following a halt due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The 10,000-kilometer (6,200-mile) trip lasts eight days.
Russia and North Korea have raisedrelations in diplomacy, economy, and militaryfollowing Russia's comprehensive invasion of Ukraine.
Kyiv and its Western partners have alleged that North Korea is providing Russia with artillery and ballistic missiles to attack Ukrainian cities, while Pyongyang has sentmore than 10,000 troops to help repulse a Ukrainian invasion of Russia's Kursk area.
Russia cancels naval parade citing 'security' reasons
At the same time, the Russian administration announced on Sunday that a yearly naval parade in St. Petersburg had been called off due to unspecified "security factors."
Officials in the northwestern coastal city called off the parade on Friday, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stating on Sunday that "safety is the top priority."
In 2017, President Vladimir Putin revived Russia's "Navy Day," which had not been observed for nearly four decades. In a video statement released on Sunday, he commended the "courage" and "heroism" of Russian sailors engaged in the war of aggression against Ukraine since February 2022.
He stated that the military's primary objective was to "safeguard the sovereignty and national interests of the homeland" and emphasized that the navy has a "crucial role" in this endeavor.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported on Sunday that approximately 100 Ukrainian drones were shot down within Russia, with at least ten of them near St. Petersburg, causing the city's airport to temporarily shut down.
Further to the south, Ukrainian drone and missile strikes have successfully compelled Russia's Black Sea fleet to leave its bases in Crimea and move further east.
The fleet's flagship, the Moskva, was destroyed by Ukrainian troops on April 14, 2022, marking the biggest Russian naval vessel to be sunk since World War II.
Edited by: Jenipher Camino Gonzalez
Writer: Matt Ford (AFP, Reuters)