The White House has disclosed that Russia has initiated attacks on Ukraine using ballistic missiles supplied by North Korea.
In a statement on Thursday, John Kirby, the spokesperson for the US National Security Council, expressed concern over the escalating situation and alleged that Russia was in discussions with Iran for the acquisition of short-range ballistic missiles.
Kirby detailed that on December 30, Russia launched a North Korean ballistic missile into Ukraine, which fortunately landed in an open field.
Subsequently, on January 2, Russian forces fired more of these missiles as part of a larger assault, and the impact is yet to be assessed.
Attributing Russia’s search for military equipment to international isolation, Kirby stated, “Due in part to our sanctions and export controls, Russia has become increasingly isolated on the world stage, and they’ve been forced to look to like-minded states for military equipment.
As we’ve been warning publicly, one of those states is North Korea.”
He disclosed that the range of the North Korean missiles used by Russia is 900km (560 miles).
In exchange for these missiles, Russia is expected to provide fighter aircraft, surface-to-air missiles, armored vehicles, ballistic missile production equipment, and other advanced technologies, raising security concerns for the Korean peninsula and the Indo-Pacific region.
Additionally, Kirby mentioned that Iran has showcased its close-range ballistic missile capabilities to Russian military officials, although no missile deliveries to Russia have been detected thus far.
Expressing concern over Russia’s negotiations with Iran for missile systems, Kirby stated, “The United States is concerned that Russian negotiations to acquire close-range ballistic missiles from Iran are actively advancing.”
In response to these developments, Kirby declared that the US would impose sanctions on those facilitating the arms transfer and bring the matter of Russia’s weapons trade with North Korea to the UN as a violation of an international arms embargo.
He urged Congress to act promptly, emphasizing the need for an arms supply package to Ukraine and stating, “The time for Congress to act is now.”
Russia Uses North Korean Missiles In Ukraine, U.S. Raises Concerns, Russia Uses North Korean Missiles In Ukraine, U.S. Raises Concerns
