A Russian cargo vessel suspected of smuggling arms out of North Korea returned to the DPRK port of Rason for the first time in nearly two months, satellite imagery showed, in a sign that illicit weapons shipments are still ongoing.

The Russian roll-on/roll-off vessel Lady R berthed at the northeastern port of Rason on April 21, according to NK Pro analysis of Planet Labs satellite imagery.

The Lady R docked at the same pier in Rason where it and three Russian vessels were suspected to have used to pick up weapons since 2023. The ship was seen with two yellow objects of unclear purpose located on its stern, attributes that were missing in its previous voyages.

During its previous March 13 voyage, the Lady R docked at Rason’s northern pier, not at its usual loading area. The vessel likely returned empty containers, as its frequented pier in the south had been full for weeks.

After an April 21 visit to Rason, the Lady R set sail for Russia’s Far Eastern Vostochny Port — a key destination for North Korean-made weapons delivered by Russian vessels.

Satellite imagery the following day confirmed the Lady R reached Vostochny, where it was seen offloading its cargo.

Suspected Russia-DPRK smuggling operations have slowed significantly since the start of the year: one Russian vessel was detected at Rason in January, none in February and one each in March and April.

Researchers previously estimated that the four Russian ships connected to the operation made 112 combined voyages to Rason between Aug. 2023 and Jan. 2026, delivering 8 million to 11 million artillery shells in some 30,000 containers.

More recently, the Lady R and another roll-on/roll-off vessel named Angara have been shouldering much of the burden. The other two Russian ships — Maia-1 and Maria — shuttling cargo from Rason dropped out of the operation in 2024 and mid-2025.

The Maia-1 has since been traveling globally, including to Europe and India, and most recently broadcast its location from the vicinity of Vostochny as of Sunday, according to MarineTraffic.

Low-resolution satellite imagery confirmed the vessel’s arrival near the port on April 24, when it was en route from the port of Slavyanka near Vladivostok. It is unclear what prompted the Maia-1’s return to the Russian Far East.

Meanwhile, Russia and North Korea marked another milestone in their military partnership by jointly celebrating DPRK soldiers who took part in repelling a Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk region over the weekend.

North Korea is estimated to have dispatched a total of 21,000 soldiers to Russia and suffered 6,000 casualties.

Pyongyang has supplied Russia with ballistic missiles, long-range Koksan artillery systems, 240mm and 107mm multiple-launch rocket systems, rare 60mm and 140mm mortar types, as well as 100mm tank rounds and cluster munitions.

Edited by David Choi