Hundreds of North Korean nationals entered Russia in the first half of 2023, official statistics show, surging from last year in a development that one expert tied to increasing economic and military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.

According to immigration statistics published by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), 370 North Koreans entered Russia in the first six months of 2023, a dramatic increase from the 44 DPRK nationals who entered the country during the same period last year. Only 69 North Koreans crossed into Russia in all of 2021.