Russia has supplied North Korea with more than 1 million barrels of oil since March, as a payment for weapons and troops sent to the war against Ukraine. According to an analysis of satellite imagery in a report published by a British-based nonprofit that uses high-tech to make data publicly available,

Over the past decade, China has grown increasingly concerned about its waning leverage over North Korea and inability to restrain Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions. These worries have only intensified with North Korea’s dramatic tightening of ties with Russia this year.