DPRK suspends supply of ammunition to Russia by sea

North Korea may have suspended shipments of ammunition to the Russian Federation by sea. The operation is likely to be suspended due to the suspension of production in North Korea or other logistical problems.

This is reported by RBC-Ukraine regarding the Korean portal NK Pro.

The publication notes that over the past few weeks, ships with ammunition have not appeared in Russian ports. The reason may be production problems or other factors.

According to the portal, four ships were transporting ammunition to Russia - Angara, Maya-1, Maria, and Lady R. The ships made at least 32 trips to the DPRK. The last time the Maya-1 called at the North Korean port of Rason was on February 12, and the Lady R on February 4. During this time, the DPRK also did not deliver containers to the export berth.

According to the newspaper, the containers delivered by the Maya-1 and Lady R vessels in early February have remained on the pier in recent weeks. This indicates that "they are empty or there is no need to urgently deliver them to their destinations in North Korea."

Satellite imagery also shows that no containers have been brought to the port of Rason by rail from the interior of the DPRK.

"It is likely that the operation has been suspended due to the suspension of production in North Korea or other logistical problems. It cannot be ruled out that the weapons are being transferred to Russia by air or rail across the common land border of the two countries," the article says.

On February 27, NK Pro detected a ship with similar characteristics, the Lady R, anchored in the waters east of Vladivostok. The ships involved in the DPRK and Russian operations did not turn on AIS (Automatic Identification System) during all departures to avoid detection.

Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 02/03/2024