This is reported by the Russian service of the BBC, referencing data from the Open Source Centre research center.
In the past 8 months, specialists have recorded 43 voyages of North Korean tankers between ports in the DPRK and Russia in the Far East. The first such voyage took place on March 7 of this year, and the last time Pyongyang transported Russian oil was on November 5.
The BBC notes that due to sanctions, North Korea is prohibited from purchasing more than 500,000 barrels of oil annually, while the one million barrels mentioned by British researchers is not a significant volume for Russia, as it produces ten times more oil daily. The DPRK requires oil, particularly for the development of its nuclear program.
In January 2024, initial evidence emerged that North Korea is supplying its weaponry to Russia. An expert analysis confirmed that in early January, Russian forces struck Kharkiv using a North Korean missile.
As of the end of February, investigators recorded that Russian troops had fired more than 20 North Korean munitions at Ukraine. As a result of these hostile attacks, at least 24 people were killed, and over a hundred civilians sustained serious injuries.
Additionally, according to Ukrainian intelligence, North Korea has already sent one and a half million artillery shells from the 1970s-1980s to Russia.
In June, Russia and North Korea signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement. This agreement provides for mutual military assistance in case of aggression against Pyongyang or Moscow.
Currently, Pyongyang has sent about 12,000 of its soldiers to the war against Ukraine. The Financial Times, citing Ukrainian intelligence data, reported that North Korea sent to Russia at least 50 of its self-propelled howitzers (SPHs) and 20 upgraded multiple launch rocket systems.
This concerns the 170-mm SPH M-1989 Koksan, a convoy of which was previously noticed in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. Additionally, the Russians may have received multiple launch rocket systems from North Korea—likely the M-1991, which is analogous to the Soviet "Uragan" system.