North Korea suspends ammunition shipments to Russia by sea

North Korea has suspended the supply of ammunition to the Russian Federation by sea, likely due to production issues in the DPRK or logistical problems.

Source: South Korea-based news platform NK Pro

Details: Vessels carrying weapons have not appeared in ports over the past few weeks.

NK Pro said four vessels, namely Angara, Maia-1, Maria and Lady R, had transported ammunition to Russia, making at least 32 trips. The last time the Maia-1 entered North Korea's Rason Port was on 12 February, and the Lady R on 4 February. During this time, no containers were recorded as being delivered to the export pier.

NK Pro noted that containers delivered by the Maia-1 and Lady R in early February have remained in the port for the past few weeks. This indicates that they may be empty or that there may be no urgent need to deliver them to their destinations in North Korea.

All of these vessels are subject to sanctions by the US Department of the Treasury for their alleged involvement in transporting military equipment and ammunition from North Korea to Russia.

Satellite images from 12 February show no large cargo ships near the two docks in Rason, where weapons are usually loaded.

Satellite images also indicate that containers from North Korea's internal regions have not been transported to the Rason port by rail.

Perhaps the operation was suspended due to production issues in North Korea or other logistical difficulties. It is also possible that weapons are being transferred to Russia by air or rail across the shared border.

NK Pro noted that the ships involved in the joint operation between North Korea and Russia did not activate their automatic identification system during all departures to avoid detection.

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