US says NK delivered 1,000 containers of equipment and munitions to Russia
White House National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby joins White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre (not pictured) for the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S. Oct. 12. Reuters-Yonhap
The White House said Friday that North Korea has delivered more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia for its ongoing war in Ukraine.
Speculation about a possible North Korean plan to refill Russia’s munition stores drained in its protracted war with Ukraine flared last month, when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un traveled to Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin and visit key military sites.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that the U.S. believes Kim is seeking sophisticated Russian weapons technologies in return for the munitions to boost North Korea's military and nuclear program.
The White House released images that it said show the containers were loaded onto a Russian-flagged ship before being moved via train to southwestern Russia. The containers were shipped between Sept. 7 and Oct. 1 between Najin, North Korea, and Dunay, Russia, according to the White House.
"We condemn the DPRK for providing Russian with this military equipment, which will be used to attack Ukrainian cities and kill Ukrainian civilians and further Russia’s illegitimate war," Kirby said, using the initials for Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the country's official name. “In return for support, we assess the Pyongyang is seeking military assistance from Russia including fighter aircraft, surface to air missiles, armored vehicles, ballistic missile production equipment, or other materials and other advanced technologies.”
The U.S. unveiled the intelligence determination as North Korea lashed out Friday at the arrival of a U.S. aircraft carrier battle group in South Korea, calling it a provocation and again raising the specter of using nuclear weapons to defend itself.
Russia does not violate UN sanctions against NK: Russian diplomat 2023-10-15 15:34 | North Korea N. Korea-China border bridge shows increased activity: 38 North 2023-10-14 21:51 | North KoreaThe North’s official Korean Central News Agency called the aircraft carrier’s arrival “an undisguised military provocation” that proves a U.S. plan to attack North Korea is being realized. It threatened to respond in line with its escalatory nuclear doctrine that authorizes the preemptive use of nuclear weapons.
The U.S. has accused North Korea of previously providing ammunition, artillery shells and rockets to Russia. North Korea has previously denied providing weaponry to Moscow.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, last week published satellite photos that showed a sharp increase in rail traffic along the North Korea-Russia border,
The report said satellite images as of Oct. 5 captured “a dramatic and unprecedented level of freight railcar traffic” at the Tumangang Rail Facility. It said images show approximately 73 railcars while a review of previous satellite images over the past five years shows about 20 railcars at this facility at most.
This image released by the US Government Oct. 13, reportedly shows the transfer of military equipment from North Korea to Russia. AFP-Yonhap
Last month after he had met with Putin, Kim called for an exponential increase in production of nuclear weapons and for his country to play a larger role in a coalition of nations confronting the United States in a “new Cold War,” North Korean state media said.
During Kim’s six-day trip to Russia, his longest foreign travel as a leader, the two countries said they discussed boosting their defense ties but didn’t disclose any specific steps. Foreign experts speculate the two countries, both locked in confrontations with the West, were pushing to reach arms transfer deals in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.
The trip to Russia was also Kim's first foreign trip since the pandemic, during which North Korea imposed tight border controls for more than three years. After decades of hot-and-cold relations, Russia and North Korea have drawn closer since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Relations between Moscow and Pyongyang go back to the 1948 foundation of North Korea, as Soviet officials installed young, ambitious nationalist Kim Il-sung, the late grandfather of Kim Jong-un , as the country’s first ruler. Since then, Soviet aid shipments had been crucial in keeping North Korea’s economy afloat for decades before the disintegration of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is in the Middle East to consult with allies in the aftermath of last week's Hamas attack on Israel, spoke by phone on Friday with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
Blinken and Kuleba discussed the latest battlefield developments, according to the State Department. (AP)
-
US to oppose North Korean worker dispatch to occupied Ukrainian territory: State Dept.Just how restrictive is OpenAI's DALLParamount CEO Bob Bakish to step down amid sale discussions10 History“大体老师”的故事:以生命点亮生命A World Tour of Abandoned Amusement Parks争做环保铁军!全国三八红旗手黄赟为绿美广东代言A Guide to Puerto Rico's Hidden Natural Wonders21 Lost and Lonely CemeteriesA Guide to Puerto Rico's Hidden Natural Wonders
- ·AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods 4 may get revealed at the Apple September event
- ·Ukraine war anniversary: One year in to Putin’s attack, there are two Ukraines.
- ·State of the Union: Joe Biden's folksy rhetoric in his congressional address.
- ·Girl's wild frozen hair shows the power of the polar vortex
- ·GPU Mining is Dead, Where are my Cheap GPUs?
- ·G7 foreign ministers slam 'reckless' N. Korean missile
- ·Klinsmann targets end to S. Korea Asian Cup drought
- ·以赛促学普防灾减灾知识 以知促行筑安全根基
- ·GPU Mining is Dead, Where are my Cheap GPUs?
- ·S. Korean ministry says N. Korea's food shortages apparently worsening
- ·6 Historical Burgers to Make for July 4th
- ·[Graphic News] Adults 60 and over take up half of new jobs in 2022: data
- ·Sinner vs. Michelsen 2024 livestream: Watch US Open for free
- ·N. Korea touts ICBM launch as 'major success'
- ·Paramount CEO Bob Bakish to step down amid sale discussions
- ·Chef Jen Monroe’s 12 Foodie Destinations to Whet Your Appetite for Discovery
- ·'Terminator Zero' creators find fresh life in sci
- ·廉江帮扶教师到广西融水民族高中参与对等跟岗交流
- ·Seller of fraudulent N95 face masks to refund $1.1 million to customers
- ·New NASA images show iconic horse
- ·Apple Watch 10 rumors: Everything we know so far
- ·Bagnaia extends MotoGP lead
- ·N. Korean nuclear, missile programs not helpful to China: state dept.
- ·Rob Verger
- ·I Deleted All My Social Accounts: Three Weeks Without Social Media
- ·A Personal Tour of History and Mystery in New England
- ·When will Trump and Harris debate? The presidential campaigns snipe over ABC News’ rules.
- ·Just how restrictive is OpenAI's DALL
- ·Amazon Echo Studio deal: Save $81.99 on an Amazon Echo Studio with Echo Sub bundle
- ·Finding the Right Components for a Well
- ·Best smartphone deal: Google Pixel 8a on sale for $449 at Amazon
- ·[Graphic News] Adults 60 and over take up half of new jobs in 2022: data
- ·Justin Hartley shifts gears in new drama Tracker
- ·“红军长征在四川”展览开展
- ·Tesla Robotaxis aren't coming in August, it seems
- ·“Meatball Ron”: Trump’s nickname for DeSantis is good—for DeSantis!