Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin have arrived at Vostochny cosmodrome in Russia’s far east for a meeting, Russia’s state news agency has said.

The meeting underscores how the two leaders’ interests are aligning in the face of their separate, intensifying confrontations with the United States.

After Mr Kim arrived by limousine — brought in his armoured train from Pyongyang — Mr Putin shook hands with him and said he was “very glad to see” him.

Russia state media quoted Mr Kim as thanking Mr Putin for the invitation to visit Russia, “despite being busy”.

The two leaders will inspect the cosmodrome and then sit down for talks, Russian state media reported.

For Mr Putin, the meeting with Mr Kim is an opportunity to refill ammunition stores that the 18-month-old war has drained.

For Mr Kim, it is a chance to get around crippling UN sanctions and years of diplomatic isolation.

Mr Kim is expected to seek economic aid and military technology, though an arms deal would violate international sanctions that Russia supported in the past.

Mr Kim said his decision to visit Russia four years after his previous visit showed how Pyongyang is “prioritising the strategic importance” of its relations with Moscow, North Korea’s official news agency said on Wednesday.

It comes hours after North Korea fired two ballistic missiles towards the sea.