Tough international sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine have led Moscow to turn to Pyongyang for military supplies and other help.
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North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un sent a birthday message to Russian President Vladimir Putin, a gesture of friendship at a time when the two men's governments were growing closer than ever.
Addressing Putin as "my closest comrade", Kim's letter — released by the North Korean state news agency KCNA — offers him "sincere and warm congratulations" on his 72nd birthday.
"You have made remarkable successes in the course of resolutely defending the sovereignty, security, development and interests of the country and building powerful Russia with energetic and wise leadership with your heavy and sacred duty for the prosperity of Russia and promotion of the wellbeing of the Russian people for a long time and thus enjoy boundless trust and support by the Russian people," Kim writes, going on to reflect on the two men's recent meetings.
"I believe you will as ever lead great Russia only to the road of victory and honour full of vigour," he continued with the plaudits.
"Availing myself of this opportunity, I reaffirm our full and disinterested support and solidarity with the just cause of the army and people of Russia."
Tens of thousands of shipping containers
Kim has become one of Putin's key allies since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. Having anticipated a swift victory, Putin has instead seen his forces severely depleted as the Ukrainians fight back with advanced weaponry donated by Western allies.
At the same time, Russia has been hit with harsh sanctions by the West, making it harder to import military hardware and supplies or the components needed to produce them.
The Russian army has deployed Iranian-designed drones and missiles in Ukraine, but reports indicate it has also been relying on North Korean support. The US claims that more than 16,000 shipping containers containing munitions have been dispatched to Russia from North Korea.
Germany's chief defence official said the purpose of the shipments is likely to keep Russian domestic stocks up while manufactured weapons are sent for use in Ukraine.
Pyongyang, meanwhile, is suffering from deep economic problems after decades of dictatorship and sanctions, and food security remains a major problem.
Kim personally visited Putin in Russia in September, travelling via train on his first foreign excursion since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The trip saw him inspect Russian rocket parts and a launch site, with Putin saying the isolated totalitarian country is interested in developing its own space programme.