[ad_1]
On September 6, the US Division of State mentioned Russia’s Ministry of Protection is “within the course of of buying hundreds of thousands of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea to be used in Ukraine.” If true, this is only one of many indicators in latest months of deepening cooperation between Russia and North Korea past regular political help. This will likely additionally point out the start of bigger actions of products and other people between the 2 international locations within the coming months. Whereas it’s unlikely that industrial satellite tv for pc imagery will seize these sorts of actions, it’s price analyzing the transportation infrastructure between these two international locations.
The North Korea-Russia Border Infrastructure
Whereas the overwhelming majority of North Korea’s 1,433-km northern border is shared with China, a small 17-km stretch borders Russia.
Because of its brief size and distant location, tucked away within the very northeast of North Korea within the Rason Particular Financial Zone, this border space usually will get little consideration. Nearly all of commerce goes from or by China to North Korea moderately than Russia, and few defections are made throughout the Tumen River, which serves because the pure boundary.
There isn’t a highway bridge between the 2 international locations, however there may be one in every of solely a handful of worldwide railway routes connecting North Korea to mainland Asia. The 800-m-long Tumangang Friendship Bridge (Korea-Russia Friendship Bridge) connects the Russian railway community with North Korea, though the interconnection will not be so easy.
North Korea makes use of the worldwide commonplace 1,435-mm monitor gauge (distance between rails), however Russia makes use of a 1,520-mm gauge. This implies Russian and North Korean trains can not run on one another’s tracks. As such, a twin monitor has been constructed that accommodates rails spaced at each the North Korean and Russian gauges.
Determine 1. The twin-track association may be seen on this picture from the Russian port operator, Rason Transnational Container Transportation JVC.
This monitor runs from the Tumangang Bridge for 54 km into North Korea to the port at Rason, the place a Russian firm operates one in every of three piers. The Rason Transnational Container Transportation JVC invested within the port in 2008 and took a 49-year lease on the pier. The port and railway line had been opened in 2014 within the hopes of utilizing Rason to serve the Russian Far East, particularly through the winter when Vladivostok port is froze, however Rason stays ice-free.
Determine 2. The Rajin-Khasan Railway Line
Sale Route?
The logistics of any sale between North Korea and Russia will rely partially on the precise munitions in query. The US authorities has not supplied particulars past “rockets and artillery shells.” Rockets can are available in many sizes, however many are small to be fired from multi-tube launcher autos, or hand launched by infantry. Assuming that’s what is included on this sale, they’ll doubtless get packaged in containers or crates and may very well be transported by a number of means.
Alongside the size of the dual-track railway line, there are just a few locations appropriate for loading freight trains. The primary and most evident location is the RasonConTrans-operated pier quantity three, the place Russian trains have already been loaded with materials.
Determine 3. Overview of railway traces within the port at Rason.
A second location is a just lately constructed facility close to the city of Tumangang, simply inside North Korea. Enhancements on an current facility started within the second half of 2021, and it’s presumed to be a quarantine heart for items getting into North Korea from Russia, though it doesn’t seem to have been used up to now.
Determine 4. Just lately constructed facility close to Tumangang.
Additionally it is attainable shipments could happen by way of sea or air. The 2 international locations share a brief maritime border, and vessels can go instantly from North Korea to Russian waters with out getting into worldwide waters.
Lots of North Korea’s civilian and army airfields can accommodate army transport plane. All jet-capable runways are at the least 2,000 meters in size, and a few are as much as 2,800 meters. The principle runway at Sunan Worldwide Airport in Pyongyang is 4,000 meters lengthy and is dual-use, as is the airport at Wonsan with a 3,500-meter runway. If plane had been for use to move munitions or different provides sooner or later, it may very well be from anyplace within the nation.
Conclusion
Because of the nature of the cargo and rare satellite tv for pc imagery protection accessible to the general public, it should doubtless be tough to detect particular shipments from North Korea to Russia. Nevertheless, given the flurry of high-level messages between President Putin and Kim Jong Un pledging deeper bilateral relations and these early indicators of military-to-military cooperation, we will count on to see an uptick in site visitors on routes between the 2 international locations within the coming months.
[ad_2]
Source link
