Japanese Media: "Russian Cargo Ship Calls at North Korea's Najin Port... Suspected of Transporting Weapons"

"Prolonged Ukraine War Deepens North Korea-Russia Interdependence"

A Russian cargo ship subject to sanctions by the United States and Japan was confirmed to have departed Russia's Far East Vostochny Port in April and called at Najin Port in northeastern North Korea.

Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun reported this news on the 9th, pointing out the possibility that Russia violated the UN Security Council (UNSC) sanctions on North Korea by transporting weapons and ammunition made by North Korea.

Yomiuri analyzed satellite images from the U.S. private satellite service 'Planet Labs' and ship information from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) together with former expert panel member of the UNSC North Korea Sanctions Committee, Katsuhisa Furukawa.

Satellite images taken on April 2 and 3 of Vostochny Port captured a vessel believed to be the Russian-flagged cargo ship 'LADY R' docked at a port stacked with containers. Subsequently, on April 14, a ship presumed to be the same vessel was confirmed to have called at North Korea's Najin Port.

The ship's Automatic Identification System (AIS) data was not available on the maritime tracking website 'MarineTraffic' for the period when the cargo ship moved from Vostochny Port to Najin Port, so the exact route could not be determined, Yomiuri reported.

The U.S. government designated the 'LADY R' as a target of unilateral sanctions in May 2022, citing its use for transporting weapons, and the Japanese government also added the Russian company owning this ship to its sanctions list last month, stating it was carrying ammunition.

Earlier, the UN Security Council adopted sanctions in June 2009 that completely banned North Korea's weapons exports in response to North Korea's nuclear test.

Yomiuri also reported on the 7th that, through analysis of other satellite images, a North Korean tanker appeared to have received oil supplies from Russia in April and transported them back to North Korea. Yomiuri analyzed that "as Russia's invasion of Ukraine prolongs, mutual dependence between North Korea and Russia is deepening."

Former panel member Furukawa said, "Vostochny Port is becoming a hub for illegal transportation of North Korean weapons and refined petroleum products," adding, "Ammunition supplied to Russia is being used in attacks on Ukraine, so the international community must act swiftly."

North Korea and Russia are known to continue illegal trade involving weapons and petroleum centered around Najin Port and Vostochny Port.

NK News, a U.S. North Korea-focused media outlet, reported in March that a vessel believed to be the 'LADY R' was spotted docked at Najin Port, and the U.S. think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) also confirmed in April that a North Korean ship was docked at Vostochny Port.