Satellite images show Russia delivering thousands of barrels of oil to North Korea.

Records claim that over the past eight months, Moscow has supplied him with more than a million. For its part, Pyongyang has supplied troops to the Kremlin.

An analysis carried out by a non-profit research group based in the United Kingdom, Open Source Center believes that Russia provided to North Korea more than a million barrels of oil since March this year .

Researchers at the center told BBC that The first transfer they were able to document took place on March 7, 2024. That is, seven months after it was first learned that Pyongyang was sending weapons to Moscow.

Since then, oil shipments have continued, to the point where The last one they recorded was on November 5 .

THE satellite images captured by the Open Source Center, show that More than a dozen different North Korean tankers have arrived at a Russian terminal a total of 43 times. over the last eight months.

During these voyages, the ships They arrived at the Russian port of Vostochny with their trackers turned off suggesting they were trying to hide their movements.

The Open Source Center report comes amid a scenario in which North Korean soldiers join Russian troops to fight against the forces of Ukraine .

It is good to remember that The Kremlin’s invasion of Ukrainian territory lasts more than two and a half years since February 24, 2022.

Although neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has provided details on the participation of North Korean soldiers in the war, It is estimated that around 11,000 personnel have already been deployed in support of Russia. .

Why is Russia delivering barrels of oil to North Korea?

Open Source Center researcher Joe Byrne assured the aforementioned media that “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. » .

“This constant flow of oil gives North Korea a level of stability which he has not had since the introduction of sanctions,” added the expert.

On this last point, Byrne referred to the sanctions imposed by the United Nations which They ban countries from selling oil to Pyongyang except for a maximum of 500,000 barrels per year. .

This aims to it is difficult for them to continue developing nuclear weapons .

In conversation with the BBCfour former members of a United Nations panel monitoring sanctions against North Korea said the moves are an effect of the proximity that Moscow and Pyongyang have developed .

“These transfers They fuel Putin’s war machine: oil for missiles, oil for artillery and now oil for soldiers. said the person responsible for leading the panel between 2014 and 2019, Hugh Griffiths.

For his part, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Kingdom, David Lammy, told the aforementioned media that “to continue the fighting in Ukraine, Russia has become increasingly dependent on North Korea for its troops and weapons, in exchange for oil. “.

In his own words, it means “to have a direct impact on security on the Korean Peninsula, Europe and the Indo-Pacific » .

When consulted by the BBC Faced with this situation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia did not respond to a request for comment. .

Satellite images show Russia delivering thousands of barrels of oil to North Korea.
Satellite images show Russia delivering thousands of barrels of oil to North Korea.

Why North Korea needs Russian oil

The majority of North Korea’s population relies on coal. However, Oil and its derivatives are essential for the army to transport missiles and troops, in addition to operating its munitions factories and fueling regime vehicles. from Pyongyang.

Since 2017, when it was imposed the limit 500,000 barrels per year… The country has resorted to illicit purchasing of oil from criminal networks, to reach the nine million it consumes. according to experts.

Senior researcher at South Korea’s Institute for National Security Strategy, Dr. Go Myong-hyun, assured the aforementioned media that This involves high costs in money and time. .

Now Kim Jong-un receives oil directly . It’s probably better quality and you’ll probably get it for free, in exchange for ammo. “What’s better than that?” he said.

And he added: “A million barrels is nothing for a major oil producer like Russia, but it is a substantial amount for North Korea.” .

What the rapprochement between Russia and North Korea entails

Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the two countries have strengthened their ties, to the point where In June, they signed a mutual defense treaty after a summit in Pyongyang.

This agreement was ratified at the beginning of November and considers the commitment of the parties to come to the aid of the other in the event of an armed attack .

Open Source Center analysis indicates that Russia has delivered more than a million barrels of oil to North Korea since March of this year.

For his part, Pyongyang has deployed around 11,000 troops to support Russian troops in the war.

According to the United States and South Korea, North Korea sent nearly 16,000 containers of artillery shells and rockets to Russia .

Ukrainian military experts were also able to discover remains of North Korean ballistic missiles on the battlefield .

Different international analysts have stated that Moscow could provide Pyongyang with technology to improve its spy satellites and missiles .

Previously, in October, South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun said there was there is a “strong possibility” that North Korea will request the above from the Kremlin .

Today, researchers are asking What else could Russia provide to Kim Jong-un’s regime? .

In this regard, Dr. Go Myong-hyun suggested: “If you send your people to die in a foreign war, a million barrels of oil is not enough of a reward. » .

Source: Latercera

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