Media: Russia resumes arms imports from North Korea

Russian vessels linked to North Korean weapons shipments have ramped up visits to the DPRK port city of Rason in recent weeks.

According to analysis of satellite imagery, their arms cooperation is continuing unabated as the Ukraine war drags on, NK Pro reports.

The Lady R and Angara made a total of three visits to Rason in November and two in October after largely avoiding the port from early August and late September, according to available Planet Labs imagery.

Ukrainian outlet Military notes that across these five trips, the two vessels may have transported as many as 7,075 containers, although the actual number could be lower depending on the weight of the cargo.

Analysts at the Open Source Centre report that between 2023 and 2024, Russian container ships Angara, Lady R, Maria, and Maia-1 undertook 64 voyages between North Korean and Russian ports. During this period, they are estimated to have delivered at least 15,809 containers of munitions and weapons, corresponding to approximately 4.2–5.8 million artillery shells.

By Vafa Guliyeva