The United States on Thursday announced sanctions against five entities and one individual -- based in Russia and a Russian-occupied Georgian region -- for their alleged involvement in illicit financial schemes between Pyongyang and Moscow.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Top Russian security official Sergei Shoigu held talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a visit to Pyongyang on Friday, Russian news agencies said. The visit took place at a critical juncture in the war in Ukraine, for which the United States says North Korea has supplied ammunition and ballistic missiles to Russia.

The United States imposed sanctions on Thursday on a network of five groups and one person for enabling payments between Russia and North Korea to support Moscow's war in Ukraine and Pyongyang's weapons programs,

The U.S. State and Treasury departments announced new sanctions Thursday on five groups and one person said to be involved in illicit payment mechanisms between Russia and North Korea. In a statement issued by the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control,