The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Korea Chair has released a new Beyond Parallel feature: “Dramatic Increase in DPRK-Russia Border Rail Traffic After Kim-Putin Summit.”
Satellite imagery of North Korea’s Tumangang Rail Facility at the border with Russia captured on October 5, 2023, shows an unprecedented number of freight railcars, totalling approximately 73 railcars. The level of rail traffic is far greater than what Beyond Parallel has observed at the facility during the past five years, even compared to pre-Covid-19 levels.
Given that Kim and Putin discussed some military exchanges and cooperation at their recent summit, the dramatic increase in rail traffic likely indicates North Korea’s supply of arms and munitions to Russia. However, the extensive use of tarps to cover the shipping crates/containers and equipment makes it impossible to conclusively identify what is seen at the Tumangang Rail Facility. Developments elsewhere at the Tumangang Rail Facility indicate that North Korea is not simply planning to resume border traffic to pre-Covid-19 levels, but further expand the facility’s capacity at this border crossing. Military transfers between the two countries would violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions and be subject to additional sanctions by the U.S. and its allies.
Read the full analysis and see all new imagery here.
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