A large vessel has once again docked at North Korea’s Najin Port, a site suspected of facilitating arms trade between North Korea and Russia. This marks the third sighting since President Donald Trump began his second term.
On Monday, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported an analysis of satellite imagery captured by U.S.-based Planet Labs on February 21. The images revealed a 110-meter-long vessel alongside multiple containers lined up at Najin Port. The ship was observed arriving at Najin’s inner dock on February 20 before moving to the outer dock the next day. Analysts suggest this movement pattern indicates that the vessel is offloading containers from external sources before taking on new cargo for departure.
The White House has previously identified Najin Port as a key point for illicit arms transfers between North Korea and Russia. Intelligence reports indicate that containers loaded with North Korean military equipment and ammunition are shipped from this port to Russian harbors and then transported by rail to the Ukrainian front lines.
This is the third confirmed sighting of a large vessel at Najin Port since the commencement of Trump’s second administration in January, following observations on February 1 and February 20. Four vessel movements have been documented this year, including activity before Trump’s official inauguration on January 10.
Given that a single vessel can carry approximately 600 containers, estimates suggest that over 2,400 containers may have been exchanged at Najin Port in just two months. U.S. intelligence services project that the cumulative number of containers traded between North Korea and Russia could now exceed 20,000.