Missiles supplied by North Korea to Russia were used during large-scale attacks on Ukraine in recent days, the White House said on Thursday, denouncing a “consequent and worrying escalation” of support from Pyongyang. in Moscow.
“Our information indicates that North Korea has recently provided ballistic missile launch systems and several ballistic missiles to Russia,” said US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.
This arms transfer underlines, according to the spokesperson, the need for the American Congress to approve a new military aid package to Ukraine.
American President Joe Biden urged Congress on Friday to “act without further delay” after the “massive bombings” in Ukraine, with negotiations still slipping on the validation of a gigantic aid package to kyiv.
Ukraine’s air defenses, the target of a barrage of strikes by Russia in recent days, remain “absolutely” a priority, John Kirby said Thursday.
Russian forces launched at least one of the missiles supplied by Pyongyang on December 30 and that missile then crashed in a field in the Zaporizhia region of southern Ukraine, he said.
Several missiles were then launched by Russia towards Ukraine on January 2, as part of a massive air attack, the spokesperson added.
Violation of sanctions
The United States and its allies will now take the issue to the UN Security Council as the missile transfer represents a violation of UN sanctions on North Korea, John Kirby said.
In October, the United States said more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions had been delivered to Russia from North Korea in previous weeks.
Seoul also estimated that North Korea had supplied Russia with more than a million artillery shells for its war in Ukraine, receiving technical advice for its satellites in exchange.
In exchange for these arms transfers, Pyongyang seeks to obtain Russian military equipment and “sophisticated technologies,” John Kirby told the press.
Historical allies Russia and North Korea are both subject to international sanctions – the former for its invasion of Ukraine and the latter for its banned nuclear weapons and missile programs.
Their growing military cooperation is a source of concern for Ukraine and its allies, particularly after a meeting by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un with Russian President Vladimir Putin in September in the Russian Far East.
According to John Kirby, Russia also plans to buy missiles from its Iranian ally, the spokesperson said.
“We will impose additional sanctions against those working to facilitate these arms transfers between Russia and North Korea and between Russia and Iran,” he added.