Russian Vessels Docked in North Korea Raise Concerns in UN

A satellite photo from the UK Ministry of Defense shows three Russian vessels loading containers at North Korea’s Najin port and returning to ports in the Far East. Photo = The Guardian

As relations between North Korea and Russia deepen, satellite photos of Russian vessels loading cargo in North Korea have been released.

The British daily The Guardian reported on the 22nd (local time) that the UK Ministry of Defense submitted satellite photos of Russian vessels loading cargo at North Korea’s Najin port to the UN last year.

The Guardian explained that the UK provided satellite photos to the UN expert panel to initiate an official investigation into the North Korea-Russia arms trade.

The undisclosed UK Ministry of Defense intelligence report, confirmed by “The Guardian,” shows three Russian vessels, Maya, Angara, and Maria, loading containers at Najin port between September and December last year.

According to the report, these vessels were headed for ports in the Russian Far East, and the contents of the containers were not confirmed.

Two photographed vessels were confirmed to have been loaded at Najin port in a report from the UK’s Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) last October. Another vessel belongs to a group of merchant ships that have delivered military equipment provided by North Korea to Russia multiple times, according to NK News.

The UN expert panel, which received evidence not only from the UK but also from the US, is expected to publish its first report next month after a surge in suspected transactions of North Korea sending ammunition to Russia.

Meanwhile, North Korea and Russia have been deepening relations in various fields, including human exchanges, since Kim Jong Un’s visit to Russia last year.

From the 14th to the 18th, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui visited Russia, met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and paid a courtesy call to President Putin. The North Korean and Russian foreign ministers discussed “further developing relations in all areas, including ‘sensitive areas.'”

The schedule for President Putin’s visit to North Korea is also being coordinated. Foreign Minister Ri announced in Russia that President Putin said he is “willing to visit North Korea soon.”