North Korea sends Russia artillery shells for Ukraine war: WH

WASHINGTON – North Korea is secretly supplying Russia with artillery shells as yet another US adversary steps up to boost Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, the White House said Wednesday.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told CNN in a statement that Pyongyang was providing the Kremlin’s forces with “a significant number of artillery shells while obfuscating the real destination of the arms shipments by trying to make it appear as though they are being sent to countries in the Middle East or North Africa.”

US intelligence officials initially revealed in September that Russia had asked the rogue state for rockets and artillery shells, but North Korea had publicly denied that it would fill the order, Kirby said.

Kirby did not elaborate on what evidence the US had that North Korea was sending weapons to Russia, nor did he say how many shells were being shipped or how Russia was paying for them.

North Korea is the second key US opponent to lend Russia support after Iran in late August began sending Shahed-136s, dubbed “kamikaze” drones for their ability to smash into targets to deploy payloads. Later, Tehran put Iranian troops on Ukrainian soil to help train Russians on the systems.

“These are systems that the Russian Armed Forces are not familiar using, and these are organically manufactured Iranian [drones],” Kirby said Oct. 20. “The Russians just don’t have anything in their inventory, so it follows that they would need a little training on how to pilot these things.”

Iran is reportedly planning to escalate its involvement in Ukraine, preparing to send Moscow ballistic missiles and additional kamikaze drones in an upcoming package, according to media reports Tuesday.

The shipment is estimated to include about 1,000 weapons, which for the first time will include precision-guided, surface-to-surface missiles, according to CNN. 

Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder on Tuesday acknowledged reports of Iran sending ballistic missiles, but could not confirm the plan was in the works.

“We do have concerns that Russia may also seek to acquire additional advanced munitions capabilities from Iran, for example, surface-to-surface missiles to use in Ukraine,” Ryder said.

With Iran and North Korea now helping Russia, three of the four main adversaries listed in America’s 2022 National Defense Strategy are working together. Only China has not been publicly named by US officials as having helped supply Russia with weapons.

The fact that Moscow is asking Iran and North Korea for support “speaks to the state of Russia’s munitions capability” as the war enters its ninth month, Ryder said.

Russia’s supplies are running low as the West continues keeping Ukraine stocked with advanced weaponry through regular military aid packages.

“We assess that [Russian troops] continue to experience supply shortages when it comes to munitions, particularly guided munitions,” Ryder said. “It also is indicative of where they’re seeking munitions from countries like North Korea and Iran, which says a lot about the kind of company they keep and where they stand in the world right now in terms of isolation.”