Pyongyang has deployed more than 10,000 troops to bolster Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. In return, Moscow has provided North Korea with supplies like anti-aircraft missiles and more than a million barrels of oil, according to satellite imagery analysis from the Open Source Centre, a non-profit research group based in the UK. According to Seoul's top security advisor, Shin Won-sik, "equipment and anti-aircraft missiles aimed at reinforcing Pyongyang's vulnerable air defense system have been delivered to North Korea."
(Image source- BBC)
Oil for Troops
North Korean tankers made 43 documented trips since March 2024 to Vostochny Port in Russia. The oil-laden tankers broke UN sanctions limiting yearly imports to 500,000 barrels per year. Analysts believe that Moscow has delivered over a million barrels which is double the annual limit and ten times the amount officially provided in 2023. The country consumes around nine million barrels annually and the country has long struggled with fuel shortages due to sanctions. Russia’s direct supply of oil is likely offered as payment for troops and weapons.
The alliance between North Korea and Russia deepened after Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a strategic partnership treaty in June. This agreement obligates both countries to provide military assistance "without delay" in the event of an attack and to cooperate internationally against Western sanctions. Kim Jong Un seems more interested in weapons and oil than in the lives of his soldiers. UK Foreign Secretary David said, "These transfers are fueling Putin’s war machine—oil for missiles, oil for artillery, and now oil for soldiers,"
Inputs by Agencies
Image Source: Multiple Agencies
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