/RUSSIA: US Claims Russia Used North Korean Ballistic Missiles Against Ukraine

US national security spokesman John Kirby said that latest information confirm that North Korea has supplied more than 1,000 containers of military equipment to Russia, including ballistic missiles and launchers, which have reportedly been used during missile strikes against Ukraine around the turn of the year.

• Reports of North Korean weapons supplies to Russia have been doing the rounds for some time now. An analysis of satellite photos by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) from October 6 showed a sharp increase in rail traffic across the North Korean-Russian border after the Putin-Kim summit. Another report from December 8 pointed to heightened activity at North Korea's Najin Port.
• Kirby added that Russia was seeking to solicit missiles from Iran, but negotiations on the deal have not been completed, albeit they were "actively advancing". Some commentators have suggested that North Korean missiles are of subpar quality, but can still be used by the Russian military for its large-scale attacks to try and overwhelm Ukraine's missile-defence systems.
• Russia's collaboration with North Korea has weighed on its relations with the South. The two countries traded barbs last week, which overshadowed Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko's visit to Seoul over the weekend. Last week the Russian Foreign Ministry deployed a hawkish response to South Korean leader's comments on the North, which did not concern Russia at all, in an unusual move reflecting tightening diplomatic relations between Moscow and Pyongyang.