A Russian government jet typically used by high-ranking officials has landed in North Korea, according to flight tracking data, amid planning for a visit by Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

The plane’s arrival in Pyongyang on Monday morning also follows the DPRK’s failed satellite launch last week, after the two sides broadcast their interest in cooperating on space launches. 

The Rossiya Special Flight Squadron Tupolev Tu-204-300 (tail number RA-64059) departed from Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport (VKO) at around 7 p.m. local time on June 2 and arrived at Pyongyang International Airport (FNJ) around 10 hours later at 6 a.m. KST on June 3, according to tracking service Flightradar24. 

NK News analysis of Planet Labs satellite imagery also shows a plane matching the dimensions of the Tu-204-300 parked at Pyongyang International Airport at around 11:30 a.m. KST on June 3 and it was still there in an image taken on the morning of June 4.

The plane appeared to leave Pyongyang for Moscow around 9 p.m. KST the same day, Flightradar24 data shows, meaning the Russian guests stayed for almost 40 hours.

Neither side has announced the purpose of the plane’s visit. The Russian foreign ministry was not available for comment at the time of publication.

This particular plane has been used by foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and by officials traveling with Putin during his trips abroad, as well by other government officials — often on unannounced trips. It does not appear to have traveled to Pyongyang in recent years.

The plane’s trip there this week could be related to planning for Putin’s promised visit to Pyongyang, which Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said last week was in “an advanced stage,” without announcing dates.

Putin is also expected to visit Vietnam as early as this month, and could feasibly combine the trips.

The unannounced VIP jet’s arrival comes after a series of secret flights to Pyongyang by Russian military planes in March, including a large cargo plane with a history of involvement in weapons deliveries. Similar VIP flights occurred throughout last fall as well.

North Korea has allegedly sent thousands of containers of weapons to Russia in a maritime trade operation since last August, while arms experts have confirmed Russia’s use of DPRK ballistic missiles in attacks on Ukraine. 

The two countries have also appeared to engage in military space launch-related cooperation since at least last September when Kim Jong Un and Putin met at a Russian cosmodrome along with top officials from either side’s space programs and military organizations.

DPRK foreign minister Choe Son Hui was seen holding a paper with a list of Russian aerospace facilities during a visit to Moscow in January, suggesting she was planning for unpublicized visits by North Korean space program officials.

Edited by Bryan Betts

Updated on June 4 at 9:43 p.m. KST with details about the flight’s departure from Pyongyang