Kyiv’s decision to sever diplomatic relations with Pyongyang due to its recognition of two breakaway republics in eastern Ukraine could have a range of consequences for North Korea, in particular for its aviation sector, experts told NK News on Wednesday.

The two nations have traded little in the past decade, according to customs data on the NK Pro Trade Map, but the most valuable area of activity in recent years has been Ukraine’s aviation exports to North Korea.

In 2013, the DPRK purchased a pair of brand-new An-148 jetliners from Ukrainian aircraft manufacturer Antonov. The planes are the most modern