1. A new report by RUSI shows that North Korea is breaking the @UN sanctions that target its nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programmes on an industrial scale. And they are doing it in Chinese waters too. 
2. Over 2016 and 2017 the UN gradually banned North Korea from exporting coal as the revenue generated by this is used by North Korea to fund its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes.
3. Despite this, the billion-dollar coal export industry continues. RUSI has identified at least 30 North Korean ships conducting 175 journeys between North Korea and the Zhoushan area in China in 2019 and 2020.
4. Satellite images show ships in Chinese waters with their cargo bays open, full of coal and with equipment for offloading coal from vessels, nearby. A satellite image also appears to show a prohibited ship-to-ship transfer taking place in direct breach of UN sanctions.
5. Some of the ships identified by RUSI are already sanctioned by the UN Security Council as WMD-linked assets and have been photographed; they broadcast their identities openly in Chinese waters.
6. Other ships, previously identified by UN investigators and the @USTreasury as conducting ship-to-ship transfers of coal in Chinese waters and elsewhere, were identified in this report as regular visitors to Zhoushan as well.
7. This is all happening under China’s nose, with one of the country’s largest naval bases, a submarine base, coast guard patrol bases and radar installations positioned just kilometres from the North Korean activity.
8. RUSI has even tracked Chinese Coast Guard vessels travelling around and through the paths of North Korean ships engaged in this sanctions evasion activity.
9. UN-sanctioned oil tankers that previously conducted illegal ship-to-ship transfers were also spotted by RUSI loitering in another area 400 kilometres south of Zhoushan.
10. Other North Korean and North Korea-linked vessels identified by RUSI in this area have made direct oil deliveries to North Korea, in violation of UNSC Resolutions
11. You can read the full report 'The Phantom Fleet: North Korea’s Smugglers in Chinese Waters' on the RUSI website: rusi.org/publication/ot…
12. RUSI utilised a range of open source data for this report, and would like to thank our partners @WindwardOceans, @PoleStarGlobal, @Maxar and @planetlabs for their critical contributions that made this report possible.
