Both China and Russia sent high-level delegations to attend the ceremonies in Pyongyang for “Victory Day” in the D.P.R.K., the day the two Koreas signed the armistice between them in 1953. The Russian delegation, headed by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, was the higher-level of the two, and most unusual, as Russia has not been as diplomatically active with the D.P.R.K. lately. Shoigu was received in a late-night ceremony, with a formal military reception at the airport including the participation of Pyongyang’s Defense Minister. Shoigu also met with Kim Jong Un and visited an exhibit of D.P.R.K. military hardware. Shoigu also carried with him a letter from President Vladimir Putin.