Russia provided 1,355 tons of refined oil to North Korea in October, the Voice of America (VOA) reported Saturday.

The figure is far much less than the 2,136 tons Moscow reported it shipped to the communist state the previous month.

According to the U.N. Security Council website, Russia has provided a cumulative 25,057 tons of refined oil in the January-October period.

The U.N. began asking member countries to report the supply, sale and transfer of all refined petroleum products to North Korea in 2017 under a resolution adopted following the North's long-range missile launch.

Resolution 2397 put a ceiling on the annual amount of refined oil that can be exported to North Korea at 500,000 barrels, which is equivalent to some 60,000-65,000 tons. (Yonhap)