A Russian government jet landed in North Korea on Tuesday morning, with a second plane from Moscow’s presidential fleet in tow, aviation tracking data shows, as a Russian  high-level security official arrived in Pyongyang for a face-to-face with leader Kim Jong Un.

The Il-96-300 jet (RA-96014) touched down at Pyongyang’s Sunan International Airport at 11:30 a.m. KST, according to the tracking service Flightradar24, marking the plane’s first known visit to North Korea since Oct. 2024.

The aircraft operated by Russia’s Special Flight Squadron Rossiya departed Vnukovo Airport in Moscow at around 2:20 a.m. KST on Tuesday and flew directly to the DPRK capital.

The jet is part of the presidential fleet and is reportedly used by the Kremlin team that accompanies Russian President Vladimir Putin, raising the possibility that it is transporting a high-level delegation to North Korea. Over the past six months, the Il-96 mostly carried out domestic flights but also made trips to Baku, Rome, Jakarta, Tehran, Cairo and Hanoi.

Shortly after the aircraft’s arrival, Russian state-run media reported that secretary of Russia’s Security Council and former defense chief Sergei Shoigu arrived in North Korea for talks with Kim, his second trip since June 4 when he traveled to Pyongyang aboard an Il-96 (RA-96018).

Planet Labs high-resolution satellite imagery taken at 9:43 a.m. KST shows that North Korean authorities had rolled out a red carpet at Sunan’s tarmac to welcome the high-level guest.

On his previous visit, Shoigu conveyed his gratitude for the role of DPRK troops in defending Russia’s Kursk region, noting that the two countries will take steps to commemorate their heroism in the liberated area.

They also reportedly touched on deepening their “special and firm comprehensive strategic partnership” while discussing “mutual cooperation in various fields” and the situation on the Korean peninsula.

Russia’s Special Flight Squadron Tu-204-300’s route from Moscow to North Korea on June 17, 2025 | Image: Flightradar24, edited by NK News

Experts suggested the meeting signaled a shift from wartime cooperation over the troop deployment to a long-term strategy centered on boosting ties in other sectors, while sending a firm warning to the West that Pyongyang and Moscow have room for additional escalation if provoked.

The arrival notably coincides with the two countries’ plans to resume rail service connecting their capitals, with the first train expected to depart from Pyongyang on Tuesday, raising the possibility that Russian officials will attend a send-off ceremony later in the day.

Edited by Bryan Betts

Updated at 12:20 p.m. KST on June 17, 2025 with the Tu-204’s landing in Pyongyang, 12:57 p.m. with satellite imagery of the airport and 2:40 p.m. with details about Sergei Shoigu.