Russian state-controlled media has showered North Korea with unparalleled attention amid flourishing bilateral ties, according to a new report, framing the coverage as part of the Kremlin’s bid to promote alliances with authoritarian regions and a “multipolar world” despite its growing isolation.

But experts challenged the report’s decision to treat the DPRK as part of a cohesive anti-Western axis, while questioning its research methodology relying on AI tools.

In its investigationreleased last week, OpenMinds, a tech company working with Western states and Ukraine on “countering authoritarian influence,” found that pro-Kremlin media has dramatically ramped up coverage of its ties