Dhaka, Nov. 4 -- The United States said this week it has information indicating North Korea is covertly supplying Russia with a "significant" number of artillery shells, in what would be a further sign of deepening ties between the two pariah states, Reuters reports.

As Russia's isolation over its war in Ukraine has grown, it has seen increasing value in North Korea. For North Korea's part, relations with Russia haven't always been as warm as they were during the heady days of the Soviet Union, but now the country is reaping clear benefits from Moscow's need for friends.

Here's how North Korea-Russia relations began, and how they are becoming closer:

Kim met Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2019 for the first time in a summit in the...