North Korea provided ballistic missiles to Russia: White House

Washington (Uttam Hindu News): A White House official has said that North Korea recently provided Russia with several ballistic missiles and launchers that were used in air strikes against Ukraine.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that the US has new information about the cooperation Russia is getting from third countries. “Because of our sanctions and export controls, Russia has become increasingly isolated on the world stage and has been forced to look to like-minded states for military equipment,” Kirby said. “As we have been warning publicly, one of those states is North Korea.”

On December 30, 2023, Russian forces fired at least one of North Korean ballistic missiles into Ukraine, the spokesman said. He claimed that the missile appeared to have fallen in an open field in the Zaporizhia region. Kirby said that on January 2, Russia fired several North Korean ballistic missiles into Ukraine, including an overnight airstrike. “We are still assessing the impacts of these additional missiles.”

North Korean ballistic missiles are capable of hitting ranges of approximately 900 kilometers. The White House official also warned that the US fears “Russia will use additional North Korean missiles to target Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and kill innocent Ukrainian civilians.”

Kirby said North Korea is likely seeking military assistance from Russia in return for its support. The assistance includes “fighter aircraft, surface-to-air missiles, armored vehicles, ballistic missile production equipment or materials and other advanced technologies,” he said. The White House official also said that the US believes that Russia wants to acquire close-range ballistic missiles from Iran.