Royal Navy Supports UN Sanction Efforts Against North Korea
HMS Richmond has conducted an operation to help the UN's sanctions efforts, targeted against North Korea's Weapons of Mass Destruction and ballistic missile programmes.
Over the past month, North Korea has reportedly trialled both a cruise missile and two ballistic 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.
HMS Richmond, as part of its operation, captured evidence of ships apparently breaching UN sanctions and collected updated intelligence on other ships of interest, providing video and photographic evidence to the UN Enforcement Coordination Cell (ECC).
The ship detached from the Carrier Strike Group earlier this month to take part in the mission.
It is the first time since 2019 that a Royal Navy ship has supported United Nations sanctions monitoring and enforcement activity.
Speaking about the operation, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, said: "HMS Richmond's deployment in the East China Sea identified ships acting in suspected breach of UN sanctions and tracked vessels which had previously not been flagged to the Enforcement Coordination Cell.
"North Korea's ambitions to acquire Weapons of Mass Destruction destabilises the region and poses a threat to the world. This vital activity, part of the Carrier Strike Group deployment to the region, has frustrated those ambitions."
HMS Richmond's Commanding Officer, Commander Hugh Botterill said the ship was "proud" to have participated in the efforts:
"My team located multiple ships of various nationalities apparently acting in contravention of United Nations Security Council sanctions, and located, tracked and approached a number of ships that hadn’t previously been identified to the Enforcement Coordination Cell."
HMS Richmond is currently in Japan undertaking a planned routine maintenance programme.
She will then resume operations and defence engagement with the UK Carrier Strike Group, headed by the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.
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