A new Pentagon report reveals that Russia is deploying North Korean ballistic missiles in Ukraine, confirming long-standing allegations that Pyongyang has been supplying weapons to Moscow. The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) of the Pentagon confirmed these findings through debris analysis and open-source imagery, identifying the debris found in Ukraine's Kharkiv region in January as originating from a North Korean short-range ballistic missile.
"Analysis confirms that Russia used ballistic missiles produced in North Korea in its war against Ukraine," the DIA stated in a report released on Wednesday. "North Korean missile debris was found throughout Ukraine," the statement added.
South Korea has accused North Korea of sending thousands of containers of munitions to Russia, a move that would violate multiple United Nations sanctions on both countries. Despite these allegations, Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has denied any arms shipments to Russia, calling the claims "absurd" and stating that Pyongyang has "no intention to export our military technical capabilities to any country."
However, experts suggest that North Korea's recent spate of missile tests, including the firing of rockets, cruise, and ballistic missiles, may be related to weapons destined for use in Ukraine. The DIA report compared images from North Korean state media with photographs showing missile debris in Ukraine's Kharkiv region in January, providing what it described as "clear evidence" of North Korea's involvement.
The report includes photos released by North Korea showing Kim Jong Un inspecting military factories and tactical missiles in August last year. Hong Min, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, noted that these photos support the claim that North Korean missiles were used in attacks on Ukraine, undermining Kim Yo Jong's denial of arms transfers to Russia.
North Korea's missile testing and display of large-scale production capabilities appear to be efforts to supply additional weapons to Russia ahead of President Vladimir Putin's planned visit to North Korea. South Korea's defense ministry declined to comment on the report.
Soo Kim, a former CIA analyst, expressed concern over the ongoing and unrestrained cooperation between Russia and North Korea. "As time passes and as the conflict unravels, the depth of cooperation is bound to become more extensive and diversified," said Kim, now working in policy for LMI Consulting.
In recent months, North Korea and Russia have been strengthening their ties. Kim Jong Un visited Russia last year for a summit with Putin, marking a rare foreign trip for the North Korean leader. The Kremlin announced that preparations are underway for a return visit by Putin to North Korea. Putin last visited Pyongyang in 2000 for a meeting with Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un's father and predecessor.
Despite UN sanctions prohibiting North Korea from conducting ballistic missile tests, Moscow used its UN Security Council veto in March to halt UN monitoring of such violations, a move for which Pyongyang has specifically thanked Russia.
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