North Korea fired a ballistic missile towards the East Sea Wednesday in a dramatic signal of the start of its leader Kim Jong Un's historic summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Far East Russia.

Japan and South Korea's militaries confirmed the launch, with the Japanese coast guard saying two ballistic missiles were detected while unnamed government officials claimed the projectiles fell outside the country's Exclusive Economic Zone.

In his own symbolic gesture of helping Russia's neighbor improve its rocket and satellite program, Putin hosted Kim at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Amur Oblast.

Russian news agencies published images of Kim and Putin touring the vast space center.

"The leader of the DPRK shows great interest in rocket technology, and they are trying to develop (their presence in) space," Putin said, referring to North Korea by its official name.

"Russia is now confronting… such hegemonist forces to protect (its) security interests… we have always expressed full and unconditional support for all the measures taken by the Russian government, and I take this opportunity again to affirm that we will always be with Russia," Kim said, according to footage broadcast on Russian TV.

"We will prioritize the North Korea-Russia relationship and put it as the number one priority of our foreign policy from now on," Kim added.
Russia is eager for North Korea's stockpile of artillery shells, while Pyongyang is looking for help with satellite technology and upgrading its Soviet-era military equipment, An Chan-il, a defector-turned-researcher who runs the World Institute for North Korea Studies, told Agence France-Presse.

"If North Korea's multiple rocket launchers and other artillery shells are provided to Russia in large quantities, it could have a significant impact on the war in Ukraine," he said.

Kyiv strikes

Kyiv made its presence felt as Kim and Putin talked with a Ukrainian cruise missile hitting a shipyard in Sevastopol in Moscow-controlled Crimea, damaging two ships undergoing repairs, Russia's defense ministry said Wednesday.

"The Ukrainian armed forces launched a strike with 10 cruise missiles at the S. Ordzhonikidze ship repair plant," Russia's defense ministry said on Telegram.