'Russian oil smuggled to N-Korea by sea'

moscow - Russian oil tankers have transferred oil to North Korean ships at sea. This is reported by the Reuters news agency on the basis of two anonymous sources from European security services.

In recent months there have certainly been three such transports. Delivering oil is in violation of the UN embargo that is in force for North Korea.

According to the sources, there is no evidence that Russia is involved in smuggling as a state. North Korea badly needs the oil for, among other things, the rocket program.

Satellite data from Reuters show that some Russian ships have traveled unusual routes and that ships have disabled their transponder with which the location is being passed for several days.

Hard evidence that the oil was transhipped at sea has not been found by Reuters. The owners of the conscious ships deny the smuggling.