The White House said North Korea has delivered more than 1000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia for its ongoing war in Ukraine.
Speculation about a possible North Korean plan to refill Russia’s munition stores drained in its protracted war with Ukraine flared last month, when North Korean leader Kim Jong Un travelled to Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin and visit vital military sites.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that the US believes Kim is seeking sophisticated Russian weapons technologies in return for the munitions to boost North Korea’s military and nuclear programme.
The White House released images that it said show the containers were loaded onto a Russian-flagged ship before being moved via train to southwestern Russia. The containers were shipped between September 7 and October 1 between Najin, North Korea, and Dunay, Russia, according to the White House.
“We condemn the DPRK for providing Russia with this military equipment, which will be used to attack Ukrainian cities and kill Ukrainian civilians and further Russia’s illegitimate war,” Kirby said, using the initials for Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the country’s official name. “In return for support, we assess that Pyongyang is seeking military assistance from Russia including fighter aircraft, surface-to-air missiles, armoured vehicles, ballistic missile production equipment, or other materials and other advanced technologies.”