I'm interested in how this plays out at the UN. Can anything even be done when a security council member is breaking UN agreements?
❗️North Korea has sharply increased shipments to Russia, according to the Beyond Parallel project of the American Center for Strategic and International Studies.
It seems the "North Korean Express" is operational. The analysts recorded a sharp increase in the number of cargo shipments between North Korea and Russia after a meeting of the leaders of both states in September.
A satellite image of a railway facility in the North Korean city of Tumangan, located on the border with Russia, dated October 5, 2023, showed an unprecedented number of freight cars – about 73 in total.
Activity in Tumangan is much higher than what American analysts from Beyond Parallel observed at the facility over the past five years – even before the coronavirus pandemic. Moreover, construction continues nearby, likely for a new warehouse. "Given that Kim and Putin discussed some military exchange and cooperation issues at the recent summit, the sharp increase in rail traffic likely indicates North Korean arms and ammunition shipments to Russia," the publication states.
Analysts believe that in exchange for weapons, Kim might receive much-needed energy and food assistance, as well as advanced weapons technology, including those related to intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarines with nuclear ballistic missiles, and military reconnaissance satellites.
There are concerns that the potential transfer of Russian technologies will increase the threat associated with North Korea's growing arsenal of nuclear weapons and missiles aimed at the US, South Korea, and Japan.