Royal Navy warship joins effort to enforce UN sanctions on North Korea

HMS Tamar has conducted her first patrol mission under the UN flag to enforce sanctions against North Korea, as part of an international effort.

The Royal Navy warship's patrol of the East China Sea was to prevent fuel or refined petrol being delivered to North Korea, sanctions imposed by the United Nations to target the country's ballistic missile programmes.

Despite rough weather, the Portsmouth-based offshore patrol vessel gathered evidence of a ship believed to be have been in breach of those sanctions.

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"HMS Tamar's enforcement contribution to the United Nations' Security Council Resolution aimed to provide tactical evidence to counter malign proliferation activities," said Commander Teilo Elliot-Smith, the ship's commanding officer.

He emphasised the importance of this mission as an example of "the Royal Navy's intent to help stabilise a volatile part of the world and uphold an international agreement".

HMS Tamar's work follows up a similar patrol by frigate HMS Richmond in the East China Sea in September, which resulted in details of offending vessels being handed over to the UN joint mission based in Yokosuka, Japan.

With her sister HMS Spey, Tamar is on a five-year mission to the Asia-Pacific supporting UK interests in the region.

A UN Security Council resolution bans ship-to-ship transfers of goods destined for the North Korean capital Pyeongchang, but some vessels have broken the sanction.

Over the past two weeks, North Korea has reportedly tested two hypersonic missiles off the east coast of the country.

The sanctions adopted by the UN to counter this behaviour is to ban the supply of fuel or refined petroleum products to North Korea.