Russia's ambassador to North Korea, who spent decades working in the reclusive state and recently oversaw a boom in ties between the two countries, died over the weekend, Moscow said Monday.

North Korea has become one of Russia's closest allies during Moscow's Ukraine offensive, with Pyongyang sending troops and weapons to help fight Kyiv.

Russia's foreign ministry said Alexander Matsegora, who dedicated much of his life to boosting ties between the Kremlin and Pyongyang, died aged 70 on December 6.

In a statement, it called Matsegora a "brilliant, talented man" who "devoted his entire life to selfless service to his homeland".

Matsegora became ambassador to Pyongyang in 2014, having previously served as advisor at the embassy and as deputy head of the Russian foreign ministry's Asia d

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