North Korea denies Russian military delivery

• North Korea denies US allegations that it is secretly transferring weaponry to Russia for its war in Ukraine.
• The US says it has evidence that North Korea is supplying Russia with large artillery munitions.
• It claims the arms are being routed through Middle Eastern and North African countries.

North Korea denies US allegations that it is secretly transferring weaponry to Russia for its war in Ukraine.

Last week, White House National Security Spokesperson John Kirby said the US had evidence that North Korea was supplying Russia with “large” artillery munitions.

He claimed North Korea was trying to hide the supplies by routing them through Middle Eastern and North African countries, and Washington was monitoring their receipt.

A North Korean defense ministry official labelled the charges a “rumor” and said Pyongyang had “never done ‘arms negotiations’ with Russia” and had “no plan to do so”.

“We see such activities of the US as part of its hostile attempt to taint the image of the DPRK in the international arena by invoking the illegitimate ‘sanctions resolution’ of the (UN Security Council) against the DPRK,” the source told KCNA.

After North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) last week, the US and South Korea held their largest air force drill.

North Korea may be preparing its first nuclear test since 2017.

Kirby said the US believes Pyongyang’s “substantial” shells are enough to prolong the eight-month-old battle but not enough to give Russia an advantage against Ukrainian forces, which are supplied by the US and NATO partners.

In September, Pyongyang denied released US intelligence papers indicating North Korea planned to sell artillery shells and missiles to Moscow to replenish depleted stocks.

As Russia’s isolation over its war in Ukraine grows, any weaponry help would strengthen Moscow-Pyongyang relations.

The Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region were recognized by only North Korea. It also supports Russia’s takeover of other regions.

“North Korea is obviously utilizing the Ukraine crisis to tighten its links with Russia,” said Victor Cha of the US Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

Kirby called the shipments “a sign of Russia’s own defense article shortages and needs” due to international sanctions that have hindered military resupply.

CSIS’s Cha noted that Russia’s veto at the UN Security Council may block any measures, therefore the US is watching the shipments and could intercept them.

“To minimize military altercations, US officials might work with willing countries to detain the shipment at customs to prevent them from reaching the battlefield,” he said.

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