Russian diplomats had to leave North Korea by pushing a small wagon on railroad tracks, due to the lack of transportation between the two countries.
With the border closed due to the pandemic, a group of eight Russian officials and their families have had a difficult journey home. North Korea has banned trains and passenger flights from entering and leaving the country, which it says has not recorded any cases of Covid.
“Since the borders were closed and passenger traffic stopped, it has been a long and difficult journey home,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Facebook. The story was reported by the BBC.
To get to the border, the group had to deal with 32 hours by train and two hours by bus, to come from Pyongyang to the border with Russia, a distance of about 550 km in a straight line.
The last stretch of the trip, about 1 km, was traveled in a small wagon, pushed by Russian diplomat Vladislav Sorokin, who is the third secretary. He took his three-year-old daughter, Varya, on a trip. In addition to the passengers, there were several suitcases on board.
Upon arrival in Russia, the group was greeted and then taken by bus from Vladivostok, where they boarded a flight.
Over the past year, many foreign diplomats have left North Korea, and as a result, embassies have been closed in the country.