A Russian cargo ship at the center of arms smuggling operations for the Ukraine war docked at the North Korea port of Rason this week, NK Pro analysis shows, suggesting that the two countries’ clandestine weapons trade continues unabated.

The vessel closely matching the hull parameters of the Lady R roll-on/roll-off cargo ship docked at the northeast border city on June 23-24, three weeks after its last observed visit on June 1, Planet Labs satellite imagery shows.

Rason has been a key hub for DPRK arms shipments to Russia since Aug. 2023, but the latest visit comes amid uncertainty about how frequently Russian vessels are visiting the port.

The Lady R, or possibly a similar-looking vessel like Russia’s Angara, made just one port call at Rason visible in satellite imagery in May, although cloud cover that obscured the port for over a third of the month may have hid other visits.

NK Pro has only identified the two likely visits by the Lady R to Rason in June, even though there were fewer cloudy days that month. But it’s possible that other vessels implicated in the arms shipping scheme — such as the Maria — docked at the port without being captured by satellite imagery.

Over the past year, the suspected arms smuggling scheme has slowed to an average of two to three visits per month, down from five to seven in 2023. The frequency remained at this level in February after dropping to only one port call in January.

NK Pro analysis of available Planet Labs imagery indicates that March saw at least two Russian vessel visits to Rason — presumably by the Maria and Lady R. The operation maintained the same visit count in April as the suspected Maria and Angara showed up at the port.

The 138-meter-long Maia-1 cargo vessel — also implicated in shuttling arms to Russia — dropped out of the operation in early 2024. Since then, it has transited the Suez Canal en route to St. Petersburg and most recently appeared near Yemen.

North Korea’s recent troubles with launching its newest 5,000-ton destroyer Kang Kon, which capsized at Chongjin in May and was later moved to Rason for repairs, may have also contributed to the three-week gap in Russian visits in June due to security concerns.

The warship remained at Rason’s dry dock as of June 23-24, suggesting additional maintenance work is taking place despite a launch ceremony for the vessel earlier this month.

Researchers have found that Russia has received hundreds of 170mm Koksan self-propelled guns and 240mm multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) from North Korea, along with millions of rounds of munitions for its Soviet-era cannons and howitzers and other weapons.

Additionally, rare North Korean weapons have also started reaching the Russian army, including 60mm and 140mm mortars as well as 107mm MLRS, while more footage and photos have emerged on Telegram channels showing the arrival of DPRK-made 107mm and 122mm cluster munitions.

Footage showing a North Korean 240mm MLRS firing from a road on the front lines of the Ukraine war | Video: @supernova_plus via Telegram (June 2025)

Meanwhile, the transhipment of Russian coal through Rason, which North Korea revived in April 2024, appears to have slowed down, with no cargo pickups in June and just one the previous month, according to analysis of satellite imagery. Notably, there were no observed deliveries in April either, although coal could be seen piling up on the pier.

While U.N. Security Council Resolution 2371 bans North Korea from exporting coal, Resolution 2375 contains a carveout for the Russian company RasonConTrans to tranship Russian coal through Rason.

At the same time, North Korea continues to export its natural resources in violation of international sanctions, with researchers recently identifying at least six foreign-flagged freighters engaging in dark voyages to deliver DPRK iron and coal abroad, mainly to Chinese ports.

Edited by Bryan Betts