Rare Russian VIP Jet in North Korea Spurs Arms Deal Concern
- Mystery Russian Air Force plane recently flew to Pyongyang
- Arms sales could be providing cash lifeline for Kim Jong Un
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An unusual sighting of a Russian military jet in North Korea is stoking concern that Kim Jong Un is selling Vladimir Putin weapons as ties strengthen between the sanctioned states.
Tracking data from FlightRadar24 shows the Russian Air Force Ilyushin IL-62M flying from Moscow to Pyongyang on July 31 and returning on Aug. 2. Satellite imagery showed the aircraft at Pyongyang’s international airport for about 36 hours, according to NK News, a Seoul-based provider of news on North Korea that also tracks flight activity in the isolated country.