Russian VIP military jetliner flies to North Korea hours after satellite launch | NK News
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October 05, 2026Oct 05, 2026

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Russian VIP military jetliner flies to North Korea hours after satellite launch

Flight by plane that has visited DPRK multiple times comes amid concerns about space cooperation between two countries

A Russian military aircraft flew to Pyongyang on Wednesday, less than a day after North Korea launched a military spy satellite in space, aviation tracking data shows.

The flight by the Russian Air Force Ilyushin Il-62M passenger plane again draws attention to military cooperation between the two countries, after the U.S. alleged the DPRK was supplying weapons to Moscow, potentially in return for technical assistance with its space program.

The plane with tail number RA-86559 arrived in Pyongyang around 12:30 p.m. KST after a roughly one-hour flight from Vladivostok, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24.