Russian Transport Aircraft May Have Picked Up Some N Korean Weapons

Kokavkrystallos

Well-Known Member
Jan 1, 2024
728
345
Farmington
✟23,594.00
Country
United States
Faith
Messianic
Marital Status
Widowed
Ya think? Maybe?


A massive cargo plane with an alleged record of smuggling North Korean weapons has been tracked returning from an apparent pit stop in the hermit kingdom.

The Antonov An-12 is one of several aircraft and Russia-flagged cargo ships that are suspected to have facilitated weapons shipments in violation of international sanctions since at least last year.

The U.S. and South Korea have accused the Kim Jong Un regime of providing the Kremlin with missiles, artillery shells, and other weaponry to replenish the Russian military as it runs through equipment and ammunition in its invasion of Ukraine. Both Moscow and Pyongyang have denied that such transfers are taking place.

Early on March 21, an Antonov An-124 operated by Russian state-owned company the 224th Flight Unit was making its way to the far-east Russian city Vladivostok on an apparent return route from North Korea, analysts at NK Pro said on Wednesday, citing flight tracking data.

The plane was tracked leaving Vladivostok at about 2:30 a.m. local time. It then switched off its transponder and went dark, a common practice for Russian aircraft and cargo ships that have been spotted in North Korea shortly afterward.

The Antonov An-124 is even likelier to have stopped in the North Korean capital considering that another Russian state-owned plane—one that did not turn off its transponder—was tracked making the Vladivostok-Pyongyang journey just hours earlier, according to NK Pro.

That plane made the return leg of the trip around the time the Antonov An-124 is believed to have touched down.

Newsweek reached out to the North Korean embassy in Beijing, the Russian foreign ministry, and the U.S. State Department via written requests for comment.

One of the biggest cargo planes in operation, the An-124 has sufficient space to load fighter jets, transporter erector launchers, missiles, and other bulky weapons and weapons platforms.

(Nah, they're just flying around having fun, visiting North Korea, maybe delivering another Russian car to Kim, stuff like that. LoL)






 
  • Informative
Reactions: Vambram

Bob Crowley

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Dec 27, 2015
3,062
1,899
69
Logan City
✟758,089.00
Country
Australia
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Married
According to Wikipedia ... "Russia possesses a total of 5,580 nuclear warheads as of 2024, the largest confirmed stockpile of nuclear warheads in the world. Russia's deployed missiles (those actually ready to be launched) number about 1,710, also the largest confirmed strategically deployed arsenal in the world as of 2024"

I can hardly see Russia picking up another handful of North Korean nuclear weapons. What would be the point?

It's far more likely they're transporting artillery munitions and missiles.
 
Upvote 0

Nithavela

our world is happy and mundane
Apr 14, 2007
28,140
19,587
Comb. Pizza Hut and Taco Bell/Jamaica Avenue.
✟493,933.00
Country
Germany
Faith
Other Religion
Marital Status
Single
According to Wikipedia ... "Russia possesses a total of 5,580 nuclear warheads as of 2024, the largest confirmed stockpile of nuclear warheads in the world. Russia's deployed missiles (those actually ready to be launched) number about 1,710, also the largest confirmed strategically deployed arsenal in the world as of 2024"

I can hardly see Russia picking up another handful of North Korean nuclear weapons. What would be the point?

It's far more likely they're transporting artillery munitions and missiles.
Even that, they wouldn't transport by plane, but rather by train. It's just not cost efficient.
 
Upvote 0

Kokavkrystallos

Well-Known Member
Jan 1, 2024
728
345
Farmington
✟23,594.00
Country
United States
Faith
Messianic
Marital Status
Widowed
According to Wikipedia ... "Russia possesses a total of 5,580 nuclear warheads as of 2024, the largest confirmed stockpile of nuclear warheads in the world. Russia's deployed missiles (those actually ready to be launched) number about 1,710, also the largest confirmed strategically deployed arsenal in the world as of 2024"

I can hardly see Russia picking up another handful of North Korean nuclear weapons. What would be the point?

It's far more likely they're transporting artillery munitions and missiles.

Just conventional weapons. Probably missiles and artillery shells as you said.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: Vambram
Upvote 0

RocksInMyHead

God is innocent; Noah built on a floodplain!
May 12, 2011
6,880
7,482
PA
✟320,989.00
Country
United States
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Democrat
A massive cargo plane with an alleged record of smuggling North Korean weapons has been tracked returning from an apparent pit stop in the hermit kingdom.

The Antonov An-12 is one of several aircraft and Russia-flagged cargo ships that are suspected to have facilitated weapons shipments in violation of international sanctions since at least last year.
A funny typo in the article - the An-12 is the middle aircraft in this photo; the one on the back is the An-124 (the aircraft they were actually talking about:
1711769414294.png


The An-12 is a fairly big plane (roughly equivalent to the American C-130), but hardly what most people would call "massive".
 
  • Agree
Reactions: Vambram
Upvote 0

Kokavkrystallos

Well-Known Member
Jan 1, 2024
728
345
Farmington
✟23,594.00
Country
United States
Faith
Messianic
Marital Status
Widowed
A funny typo in the article - the An-12 is the middle aircraft in this photo; the one on the back is the An-124 (the aircraft they were actually talking about:
View attachment 344907

The An-12 is a fairly big plane (roughly equivalent to the American C-130), but hardly what most people would call "massive".

Yes, I saw that. But it was an An124 that flew to N Korea. There was once a larger craft, the An 225, but it was destroyed in Ukraine during the war:

Screenshot 2024-03-30 7.50.43 AM.png

Screenshot 2024-03-30 7.51.01 AM.png
 
  • Agree
Reactions: Vambram
Upvote 0

essentialsaltes

Stranger in a Strange Land
Oct 17, 2011
33,309
36,627
Los Angeles Area
✟830,665.00
Country
United States
Faith
Atheist
Marital Status
Legal Union (Other)
What a coincidence!

Russian veto ends U.N. panel monitoring North Korea sanctions

A veto by Russia on Thursday ended the United Nations’ monitoring of sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, dissolving a U.N. body that for 14 years was responsible for keeping a close eye on Pyongyang’s illicit activities.

This was Russia’s first time vetoing what has previously been a routine annual vote to extend the panel’s mandate, which had signified a unified global opposition to North Korea’s expansion of its nuclear weapons program and violations of international sanctions.
 
Upvote 0