North Korea: Uncommon Russian VIP jet in North Korea spurs arms deal concern

An uncommon sighting of a Russian navy jet in North Korea is stoking concern that Kim Jong Un is promoting Vladimir Putin weapons as ties strengthen between the sanctioned states.

Monitoring information from FlightRadar24 reveals the Russian Air Power Ilyushin IL-62M flying from Moscow to Pyongyang on July 31 and returning on August 2. Satellite tv for pc imagery confirmed the plane at Pyongyang’s worldwide airport for about 36 hours, in keeping with NK Information, a Seoul-based supplier of reports on North Korea that additionally tracks flight exercise within the remoted nation.
The flight was the primary by any such Russian navy VIP aircraft to North Korea since mid-2019, when Russian Deputy Protection Minister Alexander Fomin traveled to Pyongyang, NK Information mentioned. Pyongyang closed its borders in early 2020 because of the pandemic, choking its economic system.

Neither Russia nor North Korea have reported on the aircraft, and it’s unclear who was aboard. Russia’s Protection Ministry didn’t reply to a request for remark.
The journey by the Russian Air Power jet got here simply days after Protection Minister Sergei Shoigu traveled to Pyongyang on an analogous aircraft to attend a navy parade hosted by Kim, who additionally gave him a tour of a weapons exhibit. It “seems associated to following up on Shoigu’s delegation go to and probably agreements made with Kim,” NK Information mentioned, including that analysts “speculated that the 2 may have made weapons offers.”
North Korea has been making an attempt to revive its economic system, largely by resuming commerce with China and evading worldwide sanctions. Russia lately restarted oil shipments to North Korea for the primary time since 2020, the United Nations has mentioned, following the sooner resumption of grain exports. It’s inconceivable to know what North Korea is sending in return however each the US authorities and impartial analysts advised munitions from the stockpiles North Korea has constructed up amid tensions with Seoul.
Simply after Shoigu returned to Moscow, the US reiterated its concern that Moscow was searching for to restock ammunition reserves depleted by its battle in Ukraine.
“We’ve seen prior to now Russia trying to attempt to receive munitions from nations like North Korea,” Pentagon Press Secretary Brigadier Common Pat Ryder mentioned in a briefing on Aug. 1. “It highlights the dire straits that Russia finds itself in, relating to resupplying and refreshing its munitions capabilities.”
The US, European Union and others stepped up sanctions in opposition to Russia after its February 2022 invasion, together with in opposition to its main banks, whereas additionally warning nations in opposition to materially supporting Moscow’s battle effort. The US technique over Ukraine rests partially on choking off Putin’s economic system and hindering its armed forces so any backing from different nations may undercut that.
The obvious objects that Pyongyang has and Moscow wants are artillery shells and rockets that Moscow can use in Soviet-era weaponry pushed into service in Ukraine. The Kremlin’s battle machine has been burning by means of its shares and is scrambling for provides with the battle now in its second 12 months.
Since North Korea’s economic system is so small, an arms deal of about $250 million could be equal to about 1% of its GDP and welcome for a rustic reduce off from the worldwide monetary system on account of sanctions geared toward ending its nuclear weapons program.
A sale of North Korea’s latest short-range ballistic missiles would represent a fairly important escalation, mentioned weapons knowledgeable Joost Oilemans. It “would seemingly be quickly recognized (if solely throughout transport) and condemned as a gross sanctions violation,” he wrote in an e mail to Bloomberg Information.
Russia has been scouring its arms depots for any functioning armored automobiles, “reactivating some completely stunningly outdated gear” reminiscent of T-54 and T-62 tanks and will need assistance holding them operating, he mentioned. “North Korea is probably the ultimate remaining producer of spare components for these sorts because it nonetheless maintains an intensive stock itself,” Oilemans mentioned.
Kim additionally confirmed Shoigu new drones however these are unlikely to make their method to a battlefield in Ukraine anytime quickly.
“They’re simply not at a mature stage,” mentioned Yoon Sukjoon, a retired captain in South Korea’s navy who’s a senior fellow on the Korea Institute for Navy Affairs. North Korea lacks the manufacturing capability to supply them in important numbers anyway, he mentioned.
Regardless of the precise purpose for the mysterious navy flight, Russia and North Korea would remember that they had been “fanning the flames of the US authorities’s accusation that the 2 nations have a weapons deal,” mentioned Rachel Minyoung Lee, a regional points supervisor on the Vienna-based Open Nuclear Community who was an analyst for the Central Intelligence Company’s Open Supply Enterprise for nearly twenty years.
Lee added that she was involved the nations “may need mentioned deeper-level navy cooperation” throughout the Russian protection minister’s go to. “Clearly, showcasing to the world that they’ve one another’s again was extra essential than no matter optics Shoigu’s go to would current,” she mentioned.