Media: Russian cargo ship seen at North Korean weapons port After two-month lull / PHOTO

A Russian vessel sanctioned for alleged arms trading with North Korea has been spotted at a DPRK port for the first time in two months, in a sign that sea-based transfers may have resumed.

Satellite imagery reviewed by NK Pro indicates the Lady R cargo ship unloaded containers at Rason Port on October 1, after being tracked at Russia’s Vostochny Port in late September.

The ship is expected to collect further containers that have been accumulating at Rason since mid-September.

Washington, Seoul and Kyiv have accused Pyongyang of supplying Moscow with millions of artillery shells, ballistic missiles and anti-tank weapons for use in its war against Ukraine. The precise contents of the containers remain unclear, and analysts caution they may sometimes be empty.

The Lady R is owned by MG-Flot, a Russian shipping firm under US sanctions. South Korea imposed its own measures against the vessel in April 2024. NK Pro first linked the ship to arms transfers in late 2023, after the US exposed a similar operation involving another vessel, the Angara.

Satellite images suggest maritime activity between Russia and North Korea slowed in August and September, with few signs of shipments by sea. However, analysts say a cross-border rail link may have kept deliveries moving.

The pause could reflect shifting Russian battlefield needs, particularly after Moscow and Pyongyang declared victory in Kursk over the summer. North Korea is also reported to have sent more than 10,000 troops to fight alongside Russian forces since October 2024.

Despite intermittent slowdowns, Moscow’s continued offensive in Ukraine points to a sustained demand for North Korean arms. Western governments have condemned the transfers as a violation of international sanctions, but both Russia and North Korea deny the allegations.

By Aghakazim Guliyev