First Thing: Putin praises North Korea’s support for Ukraine war ahead of visit

Russian president to visit North Korea for first time in 24 years to seek continued military support. Plus, how Instagram is transforming wedding photography

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Good morning.

President Vladimir Putin has praised North Korea for backing Russia in its war against Ukraine as he travels to Pyongyang to seek continued military aid, his first visit to the authoritarian state since 2000.

How much artillery has North Korea provided? Seoul has identified at least 10,000 shipping containers suspected to contain ammunition and other weapons sent to Russia, the South Korean defence minister, Shin Won-sik, told Bloomberg News. They could contain up to 4.8m shells.

How does that compare to Ukraine’s allies? It does not bode well for Kyiv – EU countries failed to meet a target of 1m shells to Ukraine over the last year, sending just half.

Which cities are likely to be affected? Chicago, St Louis, Indianapolis, Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Boston, New York City and Albany.