N. Korea May Have Started Supplying Ammunition to Russia

KCNA via Reuters
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in the Amur Oblast of the Far East Region of Russia on Sept. 13 in this image released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency.

Approximately 70 freight railcars have been observed at the North Korea-Russia border rail facility in early October, suggesting North Korea has begun supplying arms and ammunition to Russia, according to analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a U.S. think tank.

CSIS analyzed satellite photos taken on Oct. 5 and observed about 70 freight railcars at North Korea’s Tumangang Rail Facility near the Russian border. The railcars were extensively covered with tarps, making it impossible to determine what they were carrying.

The number of railcars began to increase five days after a meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to the CSIS report.

“The dramatic increase in rail traffic likely indicates North Korea’s supply of arms and munitions to Russia,” the report stated.

The United State’s CBS News reported on Thursday that “North Korea has begun transferring artillery to Russia,” citing a U.S. official.