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Washington: North Korea has shipped more than 1000 containers of arms to Russia in recent weeks for use in the war in Ukraine, US officials said, the latest example of Moscow scouring the world to replenish its depleted stores of weapons from some of the most isolated outlaw nations.
US intelligence agencies tracked the shipment of military equipment and munitions as it made its way from North Korea on a Russian-flagged ship to a Russian port and from there by rail to an ammunition depot not far from Ukraine, officials said.
“We condemn the DPRK for providing Russia with this military equipment, which will be used to attack Ukrainian cities, kill Ukrainian civilians and further Russia’s illegitimate war,” said John Kirby, a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, using the initials for North Korea’s formal name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
A TV screen shows an image of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s departure from Pyongyang, North Korea for Russia ast month.Credit: AP
Kirby gave no details about the nature of the munitions but said the White House was especially concerned that Russia would repay North Korea by providing it more sophisticated weapons and technology it otherwise would not have available under international sanctions. US intelligence agencies have concluded that North Korea has requested fighter aircraft, surface-to-air missiles, armoured vehicles, ballistic missile production equipment and other materials and advanced technologies.
The agencies have not determined whether Russia has granted the requests but have detected Russian ships offloading unknown materials in North Korea, Kirby said. He added that such shipments would violate United Nations resolutions and said the US would raise the matter with the UN.
“This expanding military partnership between the DPRK and Russia, including any technology transfers from Russia to the DPRK, undermines regional stability and the global non-proliferation regime,” Kirby said.
On Friday, the White House released photos of what it said was one shipment of arms that evidently began shortly before the meeting between Kim and Putin.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un meet at the Vostochny Cosmodrome last month.Credit: AP
About 300 shipping containers were spotted being staged at Najin, North Korea, on September 7 and 8, according to the White House account. The shipment was transported on the Russian-flagged M/V Angara to Dunay, Russia, on the Sea of Japan, where it arrived on September 12, the day before the Putin-Kim meeting. Additional containers were prepared for delivery back to North Korea.