North Korea has moved a newly damaged 5,000-ton warship to a drydock in the northeastern port of Rajin, near the Russian border, prompting speculation over potential Russian involvement in the vessel’s repair.
The warship, which was damaged during a botched launch on May 21, appears in satellite imagery taken Sunday by Maxar Technologies. The images show the destroyer in Rajin’s drydock, a facility capable of basic maintenance, though less advanced than North Korea’s primary shipbuilding site in Chongjin, where the failed launch occurred.
According to Yu Jihoon, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, Rajin’s location and infrastructure make it “a key node for North Korea’s efforts to deepen economic and potentially military ties with Moscow.”
The launch mishap saw the vessel’s stern enter the water while the bow remained grounded, causing the ship to tilt and suffer structural damage. Analysts believe the incident may have compromised internal systems. South Korea’s military, however, assessed the external damage as minimal, pointing instead to water intrusion into internal compartments as the main concern.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who attended the ill-fated ceremony, reportedly ordered repairs to be completed before the late-June plenary session of the ruling Workers’ Party, calling the task a matter of national pride. State media has stated the repairs at Rajin are expected to take 7–10 days, in line with Kim’s directive.
Experts remain divided on the extent of the damage. Retired South Korean Admiral Kim Duk-ki suggested that sonar systems located on the bow may have been compromised and could require foreign assistance to fix. “North Korea is believed to lack the technology for sonar systems, so they likely imported them from China or Russia,” he said.
Although there is no confirmation of direct Russian involvement in the repair, the proximity of the drydock to the Russian border has fueled speculation. Lawmaker Yu Yong-weon said while the likelihood of sonar damage is low, “Russian assistance in the repair process is a possibility.”
The Rason special economic zone, which includes Rajin, has been previously linked to arms transfers between North Korea and Russia. A 2024 report by the Modern War Institute at West Point described the zone as “a significant point of North Korea–Russia cooperation,” citing its recent use in North Korean arms shipments to Russia for use in the war in Ukraine.
In return, Russia has reportedly supplied North Korea with advanced military equipment, including air defense systems and refined oil, according to the UN-backed Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team.
The incident underscores growing military and economic interdependence between Pyongyang and Moscow, raising concerns among international observers about escalating cooperation between the two isolated powers.
Written By Rodney Mbua
