North Korean leader Kim Jong Un returned to Pyongyang late Tuesday night, according to state media, after a nine-day tour of the Russian Far East to meet Vladimir Putin and view advanced military sites amid speculation of arms cooperation.

The Rodong Sinmun reported on Wednesday that Kim arrived in his armored train around 9 p.m. the previous night to thousands of people waving pom poms at a red carpet welcoming ceremony at Pyongyang Station. 

It said he “conducted immortal external revolutionary activities” to strengthen ties with Russia. 

People at the ceremony “were choked with passion to meet our father,