North Korea has supplied Russia’s military with missiles and ammunition used to target civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, a new U.N. report revealed.
According to the report this week from the U.N.’s Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, North Korea has supplied Russia with more than 20,000 containers of munitions since late 2023, including various types of artillery and rocket ammunition.
In addition, North Korea has shipped at least 100 advanced ballistic missiles to Russia to aid in Moscow’s targeting of civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, the report says. Russia also received several North Korean-made artillery and rocket launching equipment.
“According to an MSMT participating state, between January and December 2024 alone the DPRK transferred to Russia at least 100 ballistic missiles, which were subsequently launched into Ukraine to destroy civilian infrastructure and terrorize populated areas such as Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia,” the report said, referring to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
The researchers say both Russia and North Korea are violating the U.N. arms embargo on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s regime.
In June 2024, Russia and North Korea signed the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with each nation promising to support the other if attacked. The researchers say the treaty expanded the Russia-North Korean partnership and signaled the Kim regime’s desire to expand its military assistance program.
In exchange for its material support, Russia has provided North Korea with ballistic missile data directly from the battlefield. The report says this battlefield data has been a boon to North Korea’s ballistic missile program, significantly improving missile guidance performance.
North Korea has also received Russian-made air defense and electronic warfare technology in exchange for its cooperation.
In addition to sending munitions and missiles, North Korea is also sending thousands of its own soldiers to fight in Ukraine. Since the start of the conflict, the Kim regime has sent upwards of 12,000 servicemen to fight for Russia on the front lines. Since publicly acknowledging the partnership, both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mr. Kim have called the soldiers “heroes.”
