Freight traffic between Russia and North Korea increases

Railway traffic between North Korea and Russia grew drastically after a recent summit between the leaders Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putinindicating a “probable” arms transfer, according to a report by the analysis organization Beyond Parallel.

High-resolution satellite images reveal at least 70 freight cars at North Korea’s Tumangang border station, the Washington-based group reported Friday.

He called that number “unprecedented,” even compared to pre-pandemic levels.

No more than 20 cars had been seen at the rail terminal in the previous five years, according to the report.

The intense activity “probably indicates a supply of North Korean weapons and ammunition to Russia,” the report concludes, adding that the tarps covering the containers prevent “definitive identification” of their contents.

The analysis came a day after CBS News quoted a U.S. official as saying that Pyongyang began transferring artillery to Russia for its war in Ukraine.

Putin and Kim’s meeting in September raised concerns among kyiv’s allies about a possible arms deal.

North Korea It is a large producer of conventional weapons and possesses large quantities of Soviet-era war materials, although its conditions are unknown.

Russia It intensified munitions production this year, but analysts suggest that the 2.5 million it is expected to manufacture is less than what it needs in the war.

Moscow’s forces fire about 60,000 projectiles a day, according to Ukrainian figures.

Russia He assured that no agreements were signed during Kim’s visit, but Putin indicated that he saw “possibilities” for military cooperation.

Russia and North Korea face a wave of international sanctions, Moscow for the invasion of Ukraine and Pyongyang for its weapons tests.

USA has said that any export of North Korean weapons to Russia “will be a direct violation of multiple resolutions of the Security Council of the UNincluding some that Russia voted for.”