Ukraina - Nord Korea sender tungt artilleri til Russland - Defense Daily

 

North Korea covertly sending artillery to Russia, White House says

By Joe Gould

 Nov 2, 03:50 PM

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends a meeting in September 2022 in the country's capital of Pyongyang. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

WASHINGTON ― The U.S. has information that indicates North Korea is covertly supplying Russia with a “significant” number of artillery shells for its war against Ukraine, the White House’s National Security Council spokesman said Wednesday.

John Kirby said North Korea is “trying to make it appear as though they’re being sent to countries in the Middle East or North Africa.”

He declined to provide a specific estimate on the quantity of ammunition being sent to bolster the Russian effort, but noted the U.S. doesn’t believe “they are in such a quantity that the would change the momentum of the war.”

U.S. officials believe the shipments, with drones Russia has acquired from Iran, show that the grinding war and Western sanctions have sapped Russia’s arsenals and ability to produce new weapons.

“As [Russian President Vladimir Putin] continues to lose ground, lose soldiers, to lose momentum, he’s reaching beyond his borders,” Kirby said. “It’s a sign both of the isolation that he continues to feel economically. His own defense-industrial base can’t keep up with the pace at which he is using armaments in Ukraine.”

After the White House warned Russia might look to North Korea for new arms, Pyongyang in September denied it had or would do so.

On Wednesday, the White House did not provide evidence to support the new accusations or answer questions about how many weapons were involved, how they were being conveyed or how the U.S. might respond.

Asked about the number of shells, Kirby said: “We’re not talking dozens here. It’s a significant amount.”

The U.S. was monitoring to see whether the weapons were received and would consult with allies and partners about what accountability measures to apply, he explained.