In exchange for sending troops to Russia, North Korea receives lions and bears.

According to certain accounts, animals have long had a unique place in North Korea-Russia relations.

As relations between the two nations became stronger during the conflict in Ukraine, for which North Korea recently dispatched 10,000 troops to help Russian forces, Russia delivered over 70 animals to North Korea as a "sign of support," including an African lion, two brown bears, and forty-five pheasants.

The creatures were sent to North Korea's Pyongyang Central Zoo under the direction of Alexander Kozlov, Russia's minister of natural resources, and escorted by vets from the Moscow Zoo.

According to Kozlov's message on Telegram, "An African lion, two brown bears, two domestic yaks, five white cockatoos, 25 pheasants of various species, and 40 mandarin ducks were transferred from the Moscow Zoo to the Pyongyang Zoo," according to news agency AFP.

Additionally, a video of the animals in cargo boxes being unloaded from a government plane was uploaded. The lion in the Pyongyang Zoo's new enclosure was featured in another video.

Throughout history, animals have always had a unique place in interstate relations. They were offered as a token of caring, kindness, and support," he stated.

Putin-Kim friendship
In exchange for a pair of domestic dogs, Putin earlier sent North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un 24 purebred horses, which are reportedly the latter's favorite.

Russia and North Korea agreed to a mutual defense pact earlier this year, which requires them to offer prompt military support in the event of an invasion. The West has imposed strict sanctions on both North Korea and Russia.

Additionally, following talks in Beijing, Japan recently expressed "serious concerns" to China's foreign minister regarding North Korea's strengthening connections with Russia.

Using the abbreviation for North Korea's official name, Takeo Akiba told reporters earlier this month during a press briefing that "cooperation between Russia and the DPRK came up as a topic of discussion regarding current events on the Korean Peninsula."

Following the conversations with Wang Yi, he stated, "I conveyed our country's serious concerns about this."