North Korea supplied Russia with weapons for use in Ukraine. John Kirby, Coordinator of Strategic Communications for the U.S. National Security Council, made this announcement during an audio briefing on October 13.
"According to our information, in recent weeks, North Korea provided Russia with more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and ammunition," stated the White House representative.
Kirby also released a graphic that, in his words, shows how North Korea transferred the weapons. The equipment was initially moved to the Russian port of Dunai on the shores of the Sea of Japan. From there, the cargo was transported by rail to a warehouse near the town of Tikhoretsk, Krasnodar Krai, located 290 kilometers from Ukraine. Overall, the weapons were shipped for nearly a month, from September 7 to October 1 of this year. This information is based on images provided by the White House.
On Friday, October 13, 2023, the White House released a graphic that, according to the White House, depicts the route of North Korean arms supply to Russia in support of its war in Ukraine. The illustration was provided by the U.S. National Security Council
John Kirby condemned such cooperation between North Korea and Russia. He argued that these shipments "violate UN Security Council resolutions," undermine regional stability, and challenge the "global non-proliferation regime" for weapons of mass destruction. In response, the U.S., along with its allies, imposed sanctions on responsible individuals and organizations, Kirby stated.
"We are imposing sanctions on legal and natural persons associated with negotiations on arms between North Korea and Russia. We will ensure that the existing sanctions are properly enforced and introduce new sanctions against those seeking to enable these arms supply agreements between North Korea and Russia," concluded the Coordinator of Strategic Communications for the U.S. National Security Council.
