Russia and North Korea: how is the mysterious arms trade going?

The secret military cooperation between Russia and North Korea is causing serious concern in the international community. According to the latest report of a special group of 11 countries that monitors international sanctions, Moscow has transferred at least one modern Pantsir air defense system to Pyongyang in exchange for its assistance in the war in Ukraine.

The report, which is based mainly on intelligence information, reveals new and very serious information about cooperation between Russia and the DPRK. In particular, it is noted that the Pantsir systems could allow North Korea to organize effective defense against air attack vehicles such as aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones).

It is known that North Korea's existing air defense systems are quite outdated and are not able to effectively combat modern threats. Therefore, the Pantsir system delivered by Russia could be of great importance for Pyongyang.

The report also notes that the weapons systems of the recently unveiled North Korean destroyer "Chyo Hyon" are very similar to the Russian "Pansyr" complexes. This further strengthens the suspicions that the arms trade and exchange of military technologies between the two countries are actively developing.

The report states that Russia has supplied North Korea not only with air defense systems, but also with modern electronic warfare equipment and special signal jamming equipment. It is also reported that Moscow is actively assisting Pyongyang in developing its ballistic missile program. In particular, Russian specialists are analyzing the results of missile tests conducted by the DPRK and providing technical instructions on accurate and effective targeting.

According to international experts, such assistance not only increases military capabilities, but can also take North Korea's nuclear weapons program to a new level. According to a report by the US Congressional Research Service, thanks to the technical assistance provided by Russia, Pyongyang has significantly expanded its capabilities to produce nuclear weapons. North Korea currently has enough material to produce about 90 nuclear warheads, of which about 50 may have already been produced.

Analysts say that such a large-scale arms exchange between Moscow and Pyongyang is based on mutual interests. On the one hand, Russia is enjoying Pyongyang's support in the military operations in Ukraine. For example, it is estimated that about 14 thousand North Korean servicemen participated in the battles with Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region. It is also reported that the DPRK has supplied Russia with a large amount of ammunition for the war in Ukraine.

Since September of this year, North Korea has supplied Russia with more than 20 thousand military cargo containers. These cargoes contained about 9 million artillery rounds, more than 100 various ballistic missiles and more than 200 heavy artillery pieces. According to experts, these weapons are enough to equip three full brigades. According to the South Korean KIDA analysis center, as a result of this arms sale, Pyongyang received an income of about $ 20 billion.

Such a large-scale arms exchange is a serious violation of international sanctions. Because as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Russia is among the countries that have ratified resolutions prohibiting the supply of weapons to North Korea. Therefore, this cooperation is being sharply criticized by the international community.

In conclusion, military cooperation and arms trade between Russia and North Korea may lead to serious threats to the international community in the future. In particular, this cooperation not only increases the military capabilities of the two countries, but also poses a serious threat to regional and global security. Therefore, the international community is closely following developments on this topic.

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