Ghost Ships at Reawakened North Korea Port Put Ukraine in Peril

(Bloomberg) -- A dormant North Korean port near the border with Russia has sprung back to life, fueling what experts say is a burgeoning trade in arms destined for the frontlines in Ukraine that is simultaneously bolstering the anemic economy managed by Kim Jong Un.

Satellite imagery of the Najin port taken from October to December shows a steady stream of ships at the facility, hundreds of shipping containers being loaded and unloaded, and rail cars ready to transport goods. 

The activity appears to have picked up since early October, when the US accused North Korea of sending munitions to Russia. The White House provided imagery it said showed weapons later being delivered thousands of miles away to a depot in the Russian town of Tikhoretsk for use in Ukraine.

The flow of munitions that the US and South Korea say have included hundreds of thousands of artillery shells could grow far greater in importance as divisions in the US Congress and European Union over military aid threaten Kyiv’s ability to repel Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion.

“Pyongyang’s decision to deliver munitions at scale once again underscores the grave threat that North Korea poses to international security, this time feeding a conflagration on European soil that has already cost the lives of tens of thousands of Ukrainians and consumed tens of billions of dollars in Weste...
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