Buildup of train traffic on Russia-North Korea border

Train traffic between North Korea and Russia has dramatically increased after the recent following summit between leaders Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin, indicating a “likely” transfer of arms, according to a new report by Washington-based analysts.

High-resolution satellite imagery reveals at least 70 freight cars at North Korea’s border Tumangang rail facility, the Beyond Parallel group said, a number described as “unprecedented”.

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Russian forces , meanwhile, carried out an overnight missile strike on Ukraine’s southern Odesa region, damaging port infrastructure, Ukrainian authorities said early on Saturday. Four people were wounded.

gh-resolution satellite imagery revealed at least 70 freight cars at North Korea’s border Tumangang Rail Facility, a number described as “unprecedented” even when compared to pre-Covid levels, said Washington-based analysts Beyond Parallel,

Over the past five years, no more than 20 cards had been seen in the railyard.

The uptick in activity “likely indicates North Korea’s supply of arms and munitions to Russia”, the report said, while adding that tarps covering the shipping containers made it impossible to “conclusively identify” their contents.

Yesterday, CBS News cited an unnamed US official as saying North Korea had begun transferring artillery to Russia for use in its war in Ukraine. The US has previously accused North Korea of supplying shells to Russia’s Wagner Group.

Last month’s meeting between Putin and Kim sparked concerns among Kyiv’s western allies over a potential arms deal – North Korea is a mass producer of conventional weaponry and is known to be sitting on large stocks of Soviet-era war material, albeit in unknown condition. While Russia said no agreements were signed during Kim’s visit, Putin said he saw “possibilities” for military cooperation.

With Moscow’s forces firing an estimated 60,000 rounds a day, analysts have suggested that Russia’s production of shells could fall short of its need on the battlefield. That analysis comes even after Russia has ramped up production of shells this year to a forecast 2.5 million.

The White House has said any arms exports from North Korea to Russia “would directly violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions, including resolutions that Russia itself voted to adopt”.