In recent days, there has been a significant increase in activity and the volume of railway traffic at the border railway station between North Korea and Russia, as reported by the railway portal Railway Supply.

Railway traffic

This information is provided by the Beyond Parallel project of the Washington Center for Strategic and International Studies.

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Experts note that satellite images taken on Thursday counted a large number of freight cars (over 70) at the Tumangang railway station in the city of Rason on the border between North Korea and Russia.

Observers point out that such a level of railway traffic far exceeds what has been observed over the past five years, and even before the COVID-19 pandemic, traffic on this stretch was noticeably lower.

This surge in railway activity followed the meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin last month, raising suspicions of a possible agreement between the two dictators involving the supply of North Korean weaponry to Russia for use in the conflict with Ukraine in exchange for Russian support in North Korea’s missile and nuclear weapons development.

“Given Kim and Putin’s statements about discussing military exchanges and cooperation at their summit, the sharp increase in railway traffic may indicate North Korea supplying weapons and ammunition to Russia,” the project’s report states.

However, the report notes that precise identification of cargo and equipment from satellite images is challenging, as the boxes and containers loaded onto the railcars are tightly covered with tarps.

Beyond Parallel is a project of the Washington Center for Strategic and International Studies in South Korea.

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