Russian tourists were likely the first foreign travellers to head to North Korea since the coronavirus pandemic.

The group flew to the isolated state from Vladivostok airport in Russia’s Far East on Friday (9 February).

They will visit Pyongyang and go skiing, Inna Mukhina, general director of tour company Vostok Intur, told The Associated Press.

Many Russians struggle to travel to Europe and the US due to sanctions placed on Moscow over the invasion of Ukraine.

South Korea’s government said it has no record of North Korean state media reports of tourists entering the country since the pandemic.