North Korea is covertly supplying Russia with a “significant” number of artillery shells for its war in Ukraine, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on November 2, 2022.
Disguised shipments
Kirby said North Korea was trying to obscure the shipments by making it appear as though the ammunition was being sent to countries in the Middle East or North Africa. He declined to estimate the quantity but said it was not enough to change the course of the war. “We’re not talking dozens here. It’s a significant amount,” he said.
The White House did not provide evidence or say how the weapons were being moved. The United States was monitoring whether the shells had been received and would consult allies on how to hold those responsible to account, Kirby said.
Depleted arsenals
US officials see the shipments, along with Iranian drones acquired by Russia, as evidence that the war and Western sanctions have drained Russia’s arsenals. Putin was “reaching beyond his borders,” Kirby said. North Korea denied in September that it had supplied or planned to supply arms to Russia.
Missile launches
The accusation came on the day North Korea fired at least 23 missiles, including one that landed near South Korea’s territorial waters for the first time, amid joint US-South Korean air drills.
Sources
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