North Korea trades missiles with Russia, raising nuclear fears
North Korea has delivered 6 million units of artillery ammunition and over 100 ballistic missiles to Russia. In return, Pyongyang received air defence systems and space technologies, disclosed U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield during a debate in the UN Security Council.
According to Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield, North Korea sent over 20,000 containers with ammunition to Russia, including heavy artillery shells. Additionally, Pyongyang provided Russia with self-propelled howitzers of 170 mm calibre (approximately 6.7 inches) and rocket artillery systems. Furthermore, among the more than 11,000 soldiers sent by North Korea to fight in Ukraine are elite special forces units.
The U.S. ambassador expressed concern about the possibility of Russia formally accepting the North Korean nuclear weapons program.
"We are concerned that Russia may be close to accepting the North Korean nuclear weapons program, which would mean Moscow reversing its decades-long commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," she said, adding that Russia may sabotage the sanctions program against the program.
Such a stance would mean reversing the decades-long commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
During the debate, Jonah Leff from Conflict Armament Research reported that remnants of North Korean missiles were found in Ukraine. This suggests that Moscow is using freshly produced missiles by the DPRK, which contain Western components.
