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[rooster59]

Exclusive - Russian tankers fuelled North Korea via transfers at sea: sources

By Guy Faulconbridge, Jonathan Saul and Polina Nikolskaya

 

FILE PHOTO - A North Korean flag flies on a mast at the Permanent Mission of North Korea in Geneva October 2, 2014. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

 

LONDON/MOSCOW - Russian tankers have supplied fuel to North Korea on at least three occasions in recent months by transferring cargoes at sea, according to two senior Western European security sources, providing an economic lifeline to the secretive Communist state.

 

The sales of oil or oil products from Russia, the world's second biggest oil exporter and a veto-wielding member of the United Nations Security Council, breach U.N. sanctions, the security sources said.

 

The transfers in October and November indicate that smuggling from Russia to North Korea has evolved to loading cargoes at sea since Reuters reported in September that North Korean ships were sailing directly from Russia to their homeland.

 

"Russian vessels have made ship-to-ship transfers of petrochemicals to North Korean vessels on several occasions this year in breach of sanctions," the first security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters.

 

A second source, who independently confirmed the existence of the Russian ship-to-ship fuel trade with North Korea, said there was no evidence of Russian state involvement in the latest transfers.

 

"There is no evidence that this is backed by the Russian state but these Russian vessels are giving a lifeline to the North Koreans," the second European security source said.

 

The two security sources cited naval intelligence and satellite imagery of the vessels operating out of Russian Far Eastern ports on the Pacific but declined to disclose further details to Reuters, saying it was classified.

 

Russia's Foreign Ministry and the Russian Customs Service both declined to comment when asked on Wednesday if Russian ships had supplied fuel to North Korean vessels. The owner of one ship accused of smuggling oil to North Korea denied any such activity.

 

The latest report came as China, responding on Friday to criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, denied it had illicitly shipped oil products to North Korea.

 

North Korea relies on imported fuel to keep its struggling economy functioning. It also requires oil for its intercontinental ballistic missile and nuclear programme that the United States says threatens the peace in Asia.

 

"The vessels are smuggling Russian fuel from Russian Far Eastern ports to North Korea," said the first security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

 

Reuters was unable to independently verify that the vessels had transferred fuel to North Korean vessels, whether the Russian state knew about the sales or how many Russian vessels were involved in the transfers. It was also unclear how much fuel may have been smuggled.

 

Ship satellite positioning data consulted by Reuters and available on Reuters Eikon shows unusual movements by some of the Russian vessels named by the security sources including switching off the transponders which give a precise location.

 

The security sources said the Russian-flagged tanker Vityaz was one vessel that had transferred fuel to North Korean vessels.

 

The Vityaz left the port of Slavyanka near Vladivostok in Russia on Oct. 15 with 1,600 tonnes of oil, according to Russian port control documents.

 

Documents submitted by the vessel's agent to the Russian State Port Control authority showed its destination as a fishing fleet in the Japan Sea. Shipping data showed the vessel switched off its transponder for a few days as it sailed into open waters.

 

According to the European security sources, the Vityaz conducted a ship-to-ship transfer with the North Korean Flagged Sam Ma 2 tanker in open seas during October.

 

Reuters could not independently verify the transfer as ship tracking data showed that the Sam Ma 2 had turned off its transponder from the start of August.

 

The owner of the Russian vessel denied any contact with North Korean vessels but also said it was unaware that the vessel was fuelling fishing boats.

 

Yaroslav Guk, deputy director of the tanker's owner, Vladivostok-based Alisa Ltd, said the vessel had no contacts with North Korean vessels.

 

"Absolutely no, this is very dangerous," Guk told Reuters by telephone. "It would be complete madness."

 

When contacted a second time, Guk said the vessel did not have any contacts with North Korean ships and that he would not answer further questions.

 

An official at East Coast Ltd, the vessel's transport agent, declined to comment.

 

Two other Russian flagged tankers made similar journeys between the middle of October and November, leaving from the ports of Slavyanka and Nakhodka into open seas where they switched off their transponders, shipping data showed.

 

In September, Reuters reported that at least eight North Korean ships that left Russia loaded with fuel this year headed for their homeland despite declaring other destinations, a ploy that U.S. officials say is often used to undermine sanctions.

 

A Russian shipping source with knowledge of Far Eastern marine practices said North Korean vessels had stopped loading fuel in Russia's Far Eastern ports but that fuel is delivered at sea by tankers using ship-to-ship transfers, or even by fishing vessels.

 

China on Friday denied reports it had been illicitly selling oil products to North Korea in violation of U.N. sanctions, after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was unhappy that China had allowed oil to reach the isolated nation.

 

China's denial came a day after it blocked a U.S. effort at the United Nations to blacklist six ships Washington believes had engaged in illicit trade with North Korea, a U.N. Security Council diplomat said.

 

According to documents seen by Reuters this month, the United States had proposed that the U.N. Security Council blacklist 10 ships for illicit trade with North Korea.

 

It accused the vessels of "conducting illegal ship-to-ship transfers of refined petroleum products to North Korean vessels or illegally transporting North Korean coal to other countries for exports."

 

Three North Korean ships among the 10 were blacklisted, along with a Panama-registered vessel.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-12-30

[ezzra]

And Russia wanted to act as the 'mediator' in negotiations between the US and N. Korea, those Russian will not lift a finger unless it suits their agendas and end game.....

[Ruffian Dick]

Gosh, could it be possible that Russia and China were not telling the truth???

[stevenl]

2 hours ago, ezzra said:

And Russia wanted to act as the 'mediator' in negotiations between the US and N. Korea, those Russian will not lift a finger unless it suits their agendas and end game.....

Of course, same as US and everybody else.

[klauskunkel]

So, where is Trump's tweet chastising Vlad?

"I'm very sorry I can't tweet right now, my thumb is stuck in my nostril, [email protected]"

[BuaBS]

Great ! A win-win for Russia and NK and a lose for the US.

[chuang]

So what can the UN, US and the rest of the world do.....rhetoric only... 

[ravip]

5 hours ago, ezzra said:

And Russia wanted to act as the 'mediator' in negotiations between the US and N. Korea, those Russian will not lift a finger unless it suits their agendas and end game.....

"those Russian will not lift a finger unless it suits their agendas and end game....."

It's not only the Russians, how about the 'other' powerful nations? Aren't they the same?

The bottom line is "there is no thing called a free lunch!

Edited December 30, 2017 by ravip

[Thaidream]

The US can do plenty if it really wants to up the stakes with the worst case scenario being a naval blockade on NKOrea's shipping lanes from Russia and China. That will mean any shipping approaching the blockade has 2 choices- be boarded and searched or turn back. 

 

I hope it doesn't come to that because the US military is then eyeball to eyeball with foreign and N Korea vessels and anything can happen.

 

The Russians and Chinese need to be told directly (not through tweets) they are in violation of UN sanctions and will be held accountable.

 

Anyone who feels glad to see violations of the UN sanctions is abetting the possibility of war which if it erupts could kill millions of people.

[farcanell]

23 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

The US can do plenty if it really wants to up the stakes with the worst case scenario being a naval blockade on NKOrea's shipping lanes from Russia and China. That will mean any shipping approaching the blockade has 2 choices- be boarded and searched or turn back. 

Can they do this?

 

both Russia and China share sea borders with NK, so there is no international waters to use to enforce a blockade.

 

of course, if it came to it, close surveillance, from US ships sitting just outside national waters, would be able to accurately identify any sanction breaches.... but this would just be more ammunition for the conference room arguments

[Thaidream]

Entering another Nations air space could be considered an act of war- and that is why most air forces turn away at the last minute- they are testing a countries air defense system.

 

If war becomes a reality-  and America invades Korea with full force- I believe the Chinese will make a move on Taiwan and Russia may invade Ukraine throwing Europe into turmoil/ This would force the US to fight on 3 fronts with the possibility of huge escalations and miscalculations. 

 

Depending upon how and on what circumstances US Forces went into N Korea- I would expect Nato to be involved; Anzus (Australia and New Zealand) to become participants and possibly Thailand and the Philippines under either the Manila Pact or United Nations. The Thai General didn't go to the White House to take selfies.

 

I am quite concerned that NKorea may attempt to test a Nuclear Weapon in the atmosphere possibly attached to a ballistic missile- this could be considered an act of war by the US; S Korea and Japan due to fallout and radiation. Couple something like this with the Koreans already waging cyber attacks Worldwide and the US may just say enough is enough.

 

I really hope wiser heads on all sides prevail.  If Russia can be a possible negotiator or China and allsides agree- let the talks begin. It's certainly  better than armed conflict. 

 

[dunroaming]

4 hours ago, farcanell said:

Can they do this?

 

both Russia and China share sea borders with NK, so there is no international waters to use to enforce a blockade.

 

of course, if it came to it, close surveillance, from US ships sitting just outside national waters, would be able to accurately identify any sanction breaches.... but this would just be more ammunition for the conference room arguments

They can do it by satellite and no doubt do as a matter of course.  This is all about the Russians seeing how cavalier they can be before someone shouts foul.  It's all about posturing and snubbing Trump in the process.

[Basil B]

A few ship to ship fuel transfers is not going knock a hole in NK's fuel requirements, bet the Chinese have secret underground pipe line that pumping hundreds of tons an hour...