Russia resumed oil exports to North Korea for the first time in two years last December, U.N. data has revealed, as the two countries continue what Pyongyang has called a new "heyday" in bilateral relations.

The 1718 Sanctions Committee overseeing the DPRK sanctions regime stated that Russia sent 67,300 barrels of refined petroleum to North Korea between Dec. 2022 and April 2023, after supplying none since Sept. 2020. The U.N. Security Council (UNSC) committee published the data on Tuesday as part of a regular update on sanctions compliance reporting.