Ballistic missiles and launchers provided… Already used in Ukraine
Range is about 900km… “Request for military equipment such as fighter jets”
“Concerns about international security, including on the Korean Peninsula… Additional sanctions will be imposed.”
The U.S. government announced on the 4th (local time) that Russia received ballistic missiles and launchers from North Korea and used them in the war against Ukraine.
The United States believes that North Korea is demanding cutting-edge technology that can be used to develop military weapons in return for providing weapons, and plans to impose additional sanctions to hinder the deal.
John Kirby, Strategic Communications Coordinator for the White House National Security Council (NSC), said at a regular briefing on this day, “According to intelligence, North Korea recently provided a ballistic missile launcher and several ballistic missiles to Russia.” He added, “On the 30th of last month, the Russian military launched one of these missiles. “At least one shot was fired at Ukraine,” he said.
The missile was found to have landed in an open space in Ukraine. The United States is not ruling out the possibility of a malfunction and is investigating the exact circumstances.
Coordinator Kirby also explained, “On the 2nd, Russia used several North Korean ballistic missiles against Ukraine as part of an overnight airstrike,” and added, “The impact of additional missile launches is being assessed.”
Coordinator Kirby also created graphic data on how Russia used the ballistic missiles received from North Korea and released it at the briefing that day.
The range of the ballistic missile provided by North Korea was found to be approximately 900 km. The United States expected that Russia would use North Korean ballistic missiles to attack Ukrainian infrastructure or citizens in the future.
Regarding the source of the information, Coordinator Kirby explained, “I cannot explain in detail all the factors that helped collect the information,” but “there was a wide range of information over a long period of time.”
North Korea is expected to receive cutting-edge military technology from Russia in return for providing such weapons.
Coordinator Kirby said, “In return for this support, North Korea is assessed to be requesting fighter jets, surface-to-air missiles, armored vehicles, ballistic missile production equipment, materials, and other advanced technologies from Russia,” adding, “This is a security issue for North Korea, the Korean Peninsula, and the Indo-Pacific region.” “It means concern,” he said.
The United States is concerned that Iran has not yet provided weapons to Russia, but there is a possibility that short-range ballistic missiles may be traded under the negotiations.
The United States plans to introduce additional sanctions.
Coordinator Kirby said, “Russia’s procurement of North Korean ballistic missiles directly violates many UN Security Council resolutions. “We will demand that our partners and Russia take responsibility for violating their international obligations.”
He then emphasized, “Russia will impose additional sanctions on those who facilitate arms trade with North Korea and Iran,” and added, “We will continue to disclose information to the public as we do now and expose arms trade as we did today.”
In addition, he pointed out that the Ukraine support budget requested by the U.S. administration is still pending in Congress and urged its speedy approval.
Previously, the U.S. Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing U.S. government officials, reported that Russia has already begun receiving ballistic missile launchers and dozens of ballistic missiles from North Korea, and is also pursuing a deal with Iran.
[워싱턴=뉴시스]
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.