New satellite imagery may give a snapshot of the deepening partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang.
A pair of cargo ships believed to have facilitated illicit munitions and oil transfers between Russia and North Korea have been captured docked next to stacks of containers in the other country's port.
Russia has been supplying oil directly to North Korea, in violation of U.N. Security Council sanctions that cap shipments at 500,000 barrels per annum. North Korea, meanwhile, is suspected of shipping thousands of containers of munitions by sea, rail, and air to help replenish Russia's stockpiles as it runs through resources more than two years into its war with Ukraine.
According to the Washington, D.C.-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies' (CSIS) Korea Chair program, one of the satellite photos shows what is likely North Korea-flagged oil tanker the Paek Yang San 1, which the U.N. has flagged over its involvement in illicit oil transfers to the Kim Jong Un regime.
The vessel can be seen docked at Russia's far eastern Vostochny Port. Its arrival followed at least five such visits at the port by North Korean tankers, according to satellite imagery shared with the Financial Times by the British think tank the Royal United Services Institute.
The satellite imagery shows that the Paek Yang San 1 arrived at Vostochny Port's oil terminal sections on April 2 and remained berthed there until Monday, Jennifer Jun, Korea Chair project manager and research associate, told Newsweek.
Based on observations of the ship's past trips, it was likely taking its cargo to North Korea's Chongjin, though this could not be confirmed due to lack of high-resolution photos of the northeastern city at the time, she said.
Jun pointed out that the Paek Yang San 1 had been "dark" since March 10 to avoid detection during its trips between the two countries. This means it had turned off its automatic identification system transponder, which transmits position, identification and other details to other vessels and to coastal authorities.
"To have their AIS turned off, especially in a busy port, is a deliberate and risky choice," June said.
A second, unidentified tanker was spotted at the same location in Vostochny on Wednesday. This vessel was also dark, suggesting involvement in the illicit oil transfers, she said.
The North Korean Embassy in Beijing and the Russian Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to written requests for comment.
The CSIS analysts are confident the other photo showed the Russian cargo ship Maria parked at Najin, a North Korean port city less than 20 miles from the Russian border.
The ship was spotted arriving between April 4 and April 7 and had left by April 8. The Maria appeared in satellite imagery of Vostochny Port on Wednesday, though it had switched its AIS off, Jun said.
The Maria is one of four Russian cargo ships sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control for alleged "proliferation of military equipment and munitions from [North Korea] to Russia."
Along with the Maria, the Lady R, and the Angara, the Maia-1 made 32 port calls at the North Korean city Rason since the supply runs were first tracked last August.
Last month, analyst group NK Pro pointed to satellite imagery showing what appeared to be the Lady R at North Korea's Rason Port, marking a return of Russian cargo ships after a month's absence.
Though Russia has expanded its own munitions production to maintain its ground operations in Ukraine, fluctuating shortages continue.
South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik told reporters in late February that North Korea had sent an estimated 6,700 shipping containers of ammunition to Russia. These potentially contained as many as 3 million 152-millimeter artillery shells, he said—a type of ammunition in particularly short supply.
Ukrainian defense intelligence agency the Main Intelligence Directorate, also known as GRU, estimated in February that Russia had imported some 1.5 million artillery shells from its reclusive neighbor.
Pyongyang has been signaling stronger ties with Moscow while shelving attempts to lower decades-high tensions with Seoul.
Last month, the U.S. and South Korea launched a joint task force to stem the flow of resources fueling Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Ways to counter smuggled oil shipments, including from Russia, were discussed at the inaugural meeting.
Update 4/11/24, 11:50 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional analysis.
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Micah McCartney is a reporter for Newsweek based in Taipei, Taiwan. He covers U.S.-China relations, East Asian and Southeast Asian ... Read more
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