Moscow and Pyongyang have a wide-ranging deal covering sectors including education, agriculture and tourism.

The goats, which were exported from Russia’s Leningrad region, represent a first batch of farm animals that Russia intends to deliver to North Korea. | Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images

Goats for guns?

After a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June at which the international pariahs discussed mutual cooperation, Moscow has delivered a gift to Pyongyang.

Russia sent, drumroll, 447 goats to the North Korean city of Rason, the Russian agriculture safety watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor said in a press release.

The goats, which were exported from Russia’s Leningrad region, represent a first batch of farm animals that Russia intends to deliver to North Korea. The goats will provide dairy products to local children to relieve North Korea’s food shortages, mainly caused by government-related policies, with the situation getting worse during the Covid-19 pandemic.