Summary
Russia has supplied North Korea with over a million barrels of oil since March 2024, violating UN sanctions.
The oil is believed to be payment for weapons and troops Pyongyang has sent to Russia to support its war in Ukraine.
The transfers, which have been documented by satellite imagery, highlight the growing ties between Moscow and Pyongyang and the increasing disregard for international sanctions.
Russia and NK arent best buddies and neither China nor Russia were particularly fond of NK developong nukes either. Finally sanctions give an opportunity for smuggling and increasing dependency or it could have been a tit for tat deal to allow sanctions on NK in exchange for some other political gain.