Russia Resumes Maritime Arms Deliveries from DPRK after Two-Month Break

The Russian cargo ship Lady R, which is under US sanctions for its involvement in the illegal arms trade with North Korea, reappeared this week at the Rason port in the northeast of the DPRK.

According to NK Pro, based on Planet Labs satellite imagery, the Lady R delivered a containerized cargo to the port of Rason on Wednesday. Prior to that, the vessel was preparing for a voyage in Russia’s Vostochny port from September 24 to 26.

This is the first visit in two months, which may indicate the resumption of maritime arms shipments.

On October 2, the vessel is expected to move to a nearby berth where containers have been accumulating since mid-September, probably for loading.

It is also unknown what exactly the Russian vessels are leaving in the containers at the Rason port. Long-term storage of containers at the berth without urgent delivery may indicate that they are often empty or used as a cover.

The Lady R is owned by the Russian company MG-Flot (formerly Transmorflot LLC), which was subject to US sanctions as part of sectoral restrictions on Russia’s maritime industry after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

In October 2023, NK Pro was the first to identify Lady R’s involvement in an arms deal between Russia and the DPRK.

Earlier that month, the US released data on a similar operation involving the Angara.

Planet Labs satellite imagery shows that the Angara visited the port of Vostochny on August 8, which coincides with the suspected voyage to Razon between August 4 and 10.

In December 2022, DIU agents recorded the arrival of the Russian cargo ship Lady R at the Simons Town Naval Base. According to Ukrainian intelligence, the vessel was loading a batch of weapons.

The DIU passed this information on to the United States, after which the US Ambassador to South Africa publicly protested.

According to eyewitnesses, the loading of the ship lasted several days, mostly at night. The perimeter around the ship was guarded by armed men, indicating a high level of secrecy.