Despite international efforts to ban North Korea from developing weapons of mass destruction, the country continues to be illegally supplied with refined petroleum products. These products are important for the manufacture of weapons.

A recent analysis using of the planet Satellite tasking systems have revealed North Korea’s involvement in an organized criminal network to obtain fuel in violation of international sanctions. The network relies on a complex and complicated shipping system.

At the heart of this operation is the tanker “Diamond 8”. Satellite images show how the fuel moves from ship to ship, eventually reaching North Korean ports. This secret supply chain allows North Korea to bypass international sanctions and continue its weapons program.

“It’s a constant game of cat and mouse and they’re always trying to stay ahead. Without satellite data you can’t see what they’re doing,” said Lauren Singh, an analyst at the Center for Advanced Defense Studies. .

According to The BBCIt is estimated that Russia is supplying North Korea with more than a million barrels of oil, as payment for the troops it has acquired for its war in Ukraine.

North Korea is the only country that cannot buy oil on the open market, and the number of barrels it can receive is set by the United Nations at 500,000.

It is against UN sanctions to transfer or sell small amounts of oil to North Korea, to ensure it is not developing nuclear weapons, and satellite images clearly show the sanctions. There is a violation. Additionally, there are photographs to support this, showing tankers arriving empty and being filled.

“While Kim Jong-un is providing Vladimir Putin with a lifeline to continue his war, Russia is quietly providing North Korea with its own lifeline,” said Joe Byrne from the Open Source Center.

“To continue fighting in Ukraine, Russia is becoming increasingly dependent on North Korea for troops and weapons in exchange for oil,” British Foreign Secretary David Lemmy told the BBC.

Since March, North Korea has received more than double the annual cap from Russia.

“If you’re sending your people to die in a foreign war, a million barrels of oil is not enough of a reward,” said Dr. Go Myung-hyun, a senior research fellow at South Korea’s Institute for National Security Strategy. “

Shin Won-suk, Seoul’s top security adviser, has said that Russia appears to have provided North Korea with financial and technical support for its space program.

The real concern, however, is what more trade could happen between the two countries, as Kim Jong-un has increased his support for Russia’s war effort.

North Korea



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