A leaked international monitoring report revealed a sharp rise in secret military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, in direct violation of longstanding United Nations sanctions.

A multilateral task force based in Seoul released the report on Thursday. The task force claimed that Russia had delivered advanced air defence systems, electronic warfare equipment, and other military hardware to North Korea over recent months.

The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT), which compiled the report, was formed after Russia blocked the renewal of the UN’s North Korea expert panel in March 2024.

The MSMT reported that since November 2024, the Russian military has supplied Pantsir-S1 mobile air defence systems to North Korea. These systems included fast surface-to-air missiles and autocannons designed to shoot down aircraft and missiles at short range.

The report stated that these systems were the same as those used by Russia to protect its airspace from drone and missile attacks.

The Pantsir was a tactical defence platform with an engagement range of 1.2 to 20 kilometres.

The MSMT detailed the arms pipeline between the two countries. It said North Korea had sent around 20,000 containers of military goods to Russia since September 2023.

According to the report, these containers included over 9 million artillery shells, hundreds of short-range ballistic missiles, and other munitions. This volume of arms could support multiple brigades fighting in Ukraine.

The MSMT said Russia used military cargo planes, specifically Ilyushin IL-76 and Antonov AN-124 aircraft to transport North Korean weapons between November and December 2023.

The report also said Russia helped North Korea improve its missile guidance technology. This assistance violated United Nations Security Council resolutions that Russia had previously endorsed.

A diplomat in Seoul, speaking anonymously, said, “Russia’s overt flouting of the arms embargo is one thing, but to actively help North Korea improve missile precision, that crosses a dangerous line.”

Beyond weapons, the MSMT accused Russia of exceeding UN crude oil limits. It reported that Russia transferred over 1 million barrels of crude oil to North Korea in 2024, double the UN-permitted cap.

The report added that about 8,000 North Korean labourers were working in Russia. This deployment breached UN rules banning overseas North Korean workers.

The MSMT also alleged that Russia and North Korea routed financial transactions through South Ossetia, a Russian-backed breakaway region in Georgia known for unreliable banking practices.

The United States and South Korea created the MSMT in October 2024, following the shutdown of the UN’s expert panel.

The new coalition included 11 countries, such as France, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Germany. The group aimed to uphold transparency and enforce sanctions on North Korea.