North Korean leader Kim Jong-un supervises a test launch of a strategic cruise missile designed to demonstrate the readiness posture of various nuclear capabilities off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula, In this photo released by Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency, Feb. 26. Yonhap

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may visit Moscow in May on the occasion of Russia's Victory Day, as the two countries have been solidifying bilateral military cooperation.

The visit, if it occurs, would be another public display of a growing friendship between Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This assessment was based on a recent meeting between Kim and Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu in Pyongyang.

"We are closely monitoring for signs of the North Korean leader's potential visit to Russia," a senior unification ministry official said on condition of anonymity.

Although the timing and exact location of Kim's trip is unknown, some analysts speculate the timing of Kim's possible visit could be either May or September when the Eastern Economic Forum takes place. The possibility of Kim not visiting Russia cannot be ruled out either, according to the analysts.

A recent increase in high-level exchanges could be another sign that the two nations are preparing for a leaders' summit. Friendly ties between Russia and North Korea have been expanding across all areas, including military, economy and public health affairs.

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko confirmed, Thursday, that a visit by Kim to Russia this year is being prepared, according to its state-run news agency TASS.

The unification ministry assessed that North Korea will prioritize strengthening relations with Russia this year.

"Kim has been calling Putin ‘my closest comrade' since August 2023, around the time the two countries organized the Kim-Putin summit in the Russian Far East. Only four countries have been addressed as ‘comrade' by North Korea — China, Vietnam, Laos and Cuba. Since December 2024, Kim has been calling Putin ‘dearest friend,'" the official said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, shakes hands with Russia's Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu during their meeting in Pyongyang, March 21, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the next day. Yonhap

On Thursday, the Joint Chiefs of Staff estimated that North Korea has deployed at least 3,000 additional soldiers to Russia in January and February.

North Korea watchers estimate that the North provided as much as $3 billion worth of military supplies to Russia. Pyongyang's annual budget is believed to be around $10 billion, which means about 30 percent of its annual budget has been secured by Russia's financial incentives.

However, many believe Russia has yet to compensate North Korea for its weapons support. There is also growing speculation that North Korea seeks Russia's help to modernize its conventional weapons and develop attack drones.

On Thursday, the North's official Korean Central News Agency unveiled what appears to be its first airborne early warning and control aircraft and revealed photos of Kim supervising the testing of attack drones equipped with artificial intelligence technology.

The ministry said North Korea has ramped up criticism of the U.S. this year but seems to take a cautious approach considering that the new administration's North Korea policy has not been finalized and U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed his willingness to resume dialogue with the North.

The government also spotted signs of North Korea preparing to hold a large-scale military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea on Oct. 10.

It has been reported that the North has invited its socialist friends and organizations to the event.