Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of the State Duma, the lower house of Russia's bicameral national legislature, met with Kim Jong Un, president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), in Pyongyang on Sunday.

Volodin conveyed greetings from Russian President Vladimir Putin and expressed appreciation for the DPRK's assistance in the fighting in the Kursk region.

Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov also arrived in Pyongyang on Sunday for a working visit, the Russian Defense Ministry said. He is expected to hold talks with the DPRK's top leadership and senior military officials and attend ceremonial and commemorative events.

Earlier, reports said Volodin would attend the opening ceremony of a newly built memorial honoring DPRK soldiers who died in the Ukraine conflict. 

Separately, Putin sent a telegram to Kim to mark the opening of the memorial, thanking him and DPRK troops for their support and expressing confidence in further strengthening bilateral strategic ties, the Kremlin said.