North Korea has contributed to Russia's ability to attack Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, a UN monitoring group said, quoted by Reuters, BTA reports.
A report by the Group for Monitoring Compliance with International Sanctions Imposed on North Korea says that North Korea has allowed Russia to increase attacks on critical Ukrainian infrastructure and has delivered more than 20,000 containers of ammunition to Russia. The group includes representatives from 11 UN member states.
This information comes at a time when the Russian news agency TASS and the North Korean news agency KCNA reported that Russian Deputy Interior Minister Vitaly Shulyka and Ni Son-chol, North Korea's Deputy Minister of State Security, met in Pyongyang to discuss expanding cooperation and exchanges. The Russian delegation led by Shulyka arrived in North Korea on Monday. Yesterday, it was received by State Security Minister Ban Du-sol.
The UN Monitoring Group was established in October last year to monitor compliance with UN sanctions imposed on North Korea. Today, it also said Moscow had helped North Korea improve its missile capabilities.
According to the group, up to nine million artillery and missile munitions have been delivered from North Korea to Russia via Russian cargo ships in violation of UN sanctions as part of military cooperation between the two countries.
"At least for the foreseeable future, North Korea and Russia intend to continue and deepen their military cooperation in violation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions," the monitoring group said in its first report.
The group, which consists of representatives from the United States, South Korea, Japan and eight other UN member states, was created after Russia vetoed the resumption of the work of the UN committee that has imposed sanctions on North Korea's nuclear and missile programs for 15 years. China abstained from voting to renew the committee.
North Korea’s assistance “has contributed to Moscow’s ability to increase its missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, including targeted strikes on critical civilian infrastructure,” the new monitoring group’s report said.
Since it began sending munitions to Russia in September 2023, North Korea has transferred at least 100 ballistic missiles, self-propelled artillery, long-range multiple launch rocket systems, and ammunition for them, it said. In return, Russia supports North Korea’s ballistic missile programs by providing data feedback … leading to improvements in missile guidance performance,” the document said. Moscow has also provided North Korea with air defense equipment and anti-aircraft missiles, as well as electronic warfare systems, the report said.
After months of silence, North Korea and Russia confirmed in April that Pyongyang had sent troops to fight on Russia's side in the conflict in Ukraine. The deployment was part of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty that their leaders signed last year. The treaty includes a mutual defense pact. So far, the two countries have not explicitly confirmed the exchange of military equipment or technology.