According to satellite imagery analysis from the Open Source Centre, a non-profit research group based in the UK, Russia is estimated to have supplied North Korea with more than a million barrels of oil since March 2024. According to the British research center Open Source Center, after analyzing satellite images, over the past 8 months, more than 12 DPRK tankers have made 43 trips between the Russian oil terminal in the Far East and North Korean ports. Further pictures of the ships at sea appear to show the tankers arriving empty, and leaving almost full.
Moscow supplied over 165,000 barrels of refined petroleum to North Korea in March alone, U.S National Security Council Spokesperson Kirby said. Under U.N sanctions North Korea is limited to importing 500,000 barrels of petroleum products annually. These transfers violate UN sanctions, which ban countries from selling oil to North Korea, except in small quantities, in an attempt to stifle its economy to prevent it from further developing nuclear weapons.
Some experts believe that the oil is payment for the weapons and troops Pyongyang has sent Moscow to fuel its war in Ukraine. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy told the BBC in a statement: “To keep fighting in Ukraine, Russia has become increasingly reliant on North Korea for troops and weapons in exchange for oil."
“This steady flow of oil gives North Korea a level of stability it hasn’t had since these sanctions were introduced.” says Joe Byrne from the Open Source Centre.
Russia's defiance of UN sanctions by supplying North Korea with oil is a troubling development that highlights the complex and often contentious nature of international relations. As the situation continues to evolve, it will be crucial for the global community to address these challenges and work towards a more stable and secure world.
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