Satellite imagery has revealed that Russia is smuggling over a million barrels of oil to North Korea, reportedly as payment for North Korean troops participating in the war in Ukraine. Despite global sanctions aimed at curtailing North Korea’s weapons development, the country continues to receive crucial petroleum products illicitly.
Recent data from Planet’s satellite tasking system uncovered an elaborate criminal network North Korea uses to circumvent these sanctions. This network includes complex shipping arrangements involving ship-to-ship transfers, enabling the secretive delivery of fuel to North Korean ports, which is critical for sustaining its weapons program.
Lauren Sung, an analyst at The Center for Advanced Defense Studies, highlighted the challenge in tracking these operations, noting, “It’s a constant game of cat and mouse, and they are always trying to stay ahead. You cannot see what they are doing without satellite data.”
BBC reports have confirmed Russia’s significant oil supplies to North Korea, in exchange for military support in Ukraine. This arrangement violates UN sanctions that restrict North Korea’s oil purchases to 500,000 barrels annually to prevent nuclear weapons development. Satellite images show clear breaches of these sanctions, with tankers arriving empty and leaving full.
Joe Byrne from the Open Source Centre remarked on Russia’s and North Korea’s mutual dependency: “While Kim Jong Un provides Vladimir Putin with a lifeline to continue his war, Russia is quietly providing North Korea with a lifeline of its own.”
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy told the BBC about Russia’s increasing reliance on North Korean resources for the conflict in Ukraine, highlighting a significant escalation in the volume of oil exchanged, which has more than doubled the UN’s annual cap since March.
Dr. Go Myong-hyun from South Korea’s Institute for National Security Strategy criticized the deal’s terms, stating, “If you’re sending your people to die in a foreign war, a million barrels of oil is just not sufficient reward.” Additionally, Shin Won-sik, Seoul’s top security advisor, noted Russia’s support for North Korea’s space program, both financially and technologically.
This escalating trade between Russia and North Korea raises concerns about the broader implications and potential exchanges supporting Russia’s military actions.
