Russia Restores Rail Link with North Korea to Cement Wartime Alliance

Passenger trains between North Korea and Russia are set to resume for the first time in years, with direct service from Pyongyang to Moscow beginning on June 17 and to Khabarovsk on June 19, according to Russian Railways. While officially described as a restoration of civilian transport, the move signals the deepening of a strategic and military partnership that has already delivered millions of artillery shells and missiles from Pyongyang to fuel Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The restored route from Pyongyang to Moscow—covering more than 10,000 kilometers and taking eight days—will be the longest non-stop passenger rail journey in the world. North Korean compartment cars will be attached to Russian trains, most likely in Vladivostok. A second line to Khabarovsk, scheduled once per month, will take around two days.

Though framed as a civilian transport initiative, the timing of the resumption and the nature of Russia-North Korea cooperation suggest otherwise.

Since 2023, North Korea has emerged as one of Russia’s most significant wartime suppliers, delivering military support on a scale that rivals Iran’s drone exports. These deliveries—carried out primarily by rail and ship—have included millions of rounds of ammunition, missiles, and heavy artillery systems.

According to intelligence assessments from Ukraine, the United States, and South Korea, North Korea has provided Russia with 4 to 6 million rounds of 122mm and 152mm artillery ammunition since late 2023. UN-aligned observers estimate that the full amount could be as high as 9 million shells and rockets. The transfers have moved through at least 64 documented freight shipments, crossing into Russia from the North Korean port of Rason.

In addition to artillery, Pyongyang has also transferred at least 100 ballistic missiles, including the Hwasong-11 series, along with 120 self-propelled rocket launchers and multiple-launch rocket systems. These weapons have been used in Russian operations across Ukraine, including in strikes on cities and in frontline shelling campaigns.

The impact has been immediate and strategic. Ukrainian officials have confirmed that some Russian artillery units are now operating entirely with North Korean shells, while others rely on them for the majority of their firepower. Western military analysts estimate that up to 40% of Russia’s total artillery use in the past year has been supplied by North Korea. Without these deliveries, Russia’s capacity to maintain offensive operations would have significantly declined.

The new passenger rail routes could further streamline this collaboration. While military freight continues to move separately, passenger trains offer additional logistical cover—enabling the movement of military personnel, engineers, or dual-use cargo under the guise of civilian travel. In autocratic regimes, where the line between military and civilian infrastructure is thin or nonexistent, such integration offers strategic flexibility.

For Moscow, increasingly dependent on authoritarian partners to bypass Western sanctions and resupply its military, North Korea has become indispensable. For Pyongyang, the alliance offers global relevance, material support, and leverage against the West.

As the trains begin rolling again from Pyongyang to Moscow, they represent the cementing of a war-time axis—binding two dictatorships in a common cause of aggression.