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North Korea Seeks Food From Temporarily Russia-Occupied Kherson Amid Deepening Ties
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![Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk]( "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")
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Officials from the temporarily Russia-occupied Kherson region in Ukraine recently held talks with North Korea’s ambassador to Moscow to establish direct cooperation, according to a report by the Korea JoongAng Daily on April 18.
The talks focused heavily on agricultural trade. Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-installed governor of the temporarily occupied Kherson region, shared photos from the meeting held at the North Korean Embassy in Moscow with Ambassador Sin Hong-chol.
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Saldo stated that the two parties explored mutual interests, explicitly noting that North Korea’s severe need for food aligns well with Kherson’s agricultural capabilities. Potential exports discussed during the talks included vegetable oil, flour, and other processed agricultural products.
Beyond agricultural trade, Saldo announced plans to expand business contacts and initiate humanitarian exchanges in the areas of culture, sports, and education. He also extended an open invitation to Ambassador Sin to visit the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory for a tour of local farms, according to the Korea JoongAng Daily,
This localized diplomatic outreach represents another clear sign of rapidly deepening ties between Moscow and Pyongyang. The alliance has accelerated significantly following North Korea’s deployment of troops to support Russia’s war in Ukraine, a move that has secured vital Russian military technology, financial backing, and resources for the isolated North Korean regime.
The proposed agricultural trade between the occupied Kherson region and North Korea is part of a systematic effort by Russia to illegally export stolen Ukrainian agricultural products to fund its war machine. This exact strategy recently sparked a major diplomatic dispute when a vessel tied to Russia’s shadow fleet, the ABINSK, docked at the Port of Haifa in Israel.
Carrying grain tracked by Ukrainian intelligence from the Black Sea and believed to be stolen from temporarily occupied territories, the shipment prompted urgent protests from Kyiv. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha directly urged Israeli authorities to seize the cargo, warning that such trade is a blatant violation of international law and territorial sovereignty.
