The United States said North Korea had transferred to Russia a shipment of ballistic missiles and launchers that it said had already been used in attacks on Ukraine. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby confirmed the information, describing it as a “significant and troubling escalation” by North Korea, which he said was linked to Russian support.
John Kirby said the United States would raise the issue with the UN Security Council and impose additional sanctions against those who facilitate the supply of weapons. While Russia rejects any accusations of arms deals with North Korea.
Just hours after the White House statement, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called for the country to expand its production of launch vehicles. He visited Russia in September to discuss possible military cooperation.
In a television interview, Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat noted that Ukraine cannot currently confirm the use of missiles from North Korea, and an investigation into the debris is ongoing.
“Sometimes we wait for information whether they were hit by the S-400 or the Iskander-M, but we cannot establish this. A missile flies – it is like a speck on radar, it flies, performs ballistics, falls, explodes and scatters into small pieces. It is difficult to establish what exactly they were hit with. We do not have data on which missiles were used,” he noted.
The United States has shared detailed details for the first time about allegations that North Korea has supplied Russia with weapons, announcing the transfer of ballistic missiles. These missiles pose a serious challenge to Ukrainian air defenses due to their complex trajectory, homing, and ability to fly long distances (up to 900 km) from stationary and mobile launchers.
The applicant Yuriy Ignat noted that Ukraine can only counter these missiles with the help of modern Western systems, such as PATRIOT and SAMP/T, which are poorly represented. John Kirby of the White House believes that Russia's purchase of these missiles from North Korea violates UN Security Council resolutions, and the US will demand accountability.
The US also believes that Russia intended to acquire ballistic missiles from Iran but has not yet done so. The UK has also condemned Russia's use of ballistic missiles obtained from North Korea in attacks on Ukraine.
A British Foreign Office spokesman said that North Korea was already experiencing severe sanctions, and promised to continue working with partners to punish North Korea for supporting Russia in the Ukrainian war.
John Kirby also called on the US Congress to immediately approve additional funding for Ukraine, citing the need to support the country in providing air defense and other military equipment. Negotiations on further military assistance have stalled in Congress due to disagreements over support from Republicans, who emphasize the need to protect the US-Mexico border.
Ukraine has warned that its efforts on the frontline and financial sustainability could be at risk if it does not receive additional aid in the near future.
According to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russia is actively seeking to acquire ballistic missiles from abroad, believing them to be more effective at hitting targets in Ukraine. Russian forces regularly use short-range ballistic missiles to attack Ukrainian cities closer to the front line. These missiles, according to military analysts, are more effective at bypassing Ukrainian air defense systems.
Ukrainian air defenses managed to intercept 149 of 166 Russian cruise missiles during intensive attacks in December 2023, but only a few ballistic missiles were stopped. ISW indicates that Russian forces are reorienting S-300 and S-400 air defense missiles to strike ground targets in Ukraine, as Ukrainian air defenses are struggling to counter these unconventional missile attacks.
The effectiveness of Russian ballistic missiles depends in part on the configuration of the air defense “umbrella” in Ukraine, the bulk of which is still based on outdated Soviet systems that are incapable of countering ballistics. Only the PATRIOT and SAMP/T systems can effectively shoot down ballistic missiles.
Analysts emphasize that the success of Russian forces in using ballistic missiles in combination with cruise missiles and drones may prompt Russia to seek them more actively abroad. It is noted that the Russian defense-industrial base may not be able to produce ballistic missiles on the scale necessary for a prolonged strike campaign in Ukraine, which may prompt Russia to supply them from abroad.
