White House Reveals Russia's Use of North Korean Missiles in Recent Strikes Against Ukraine
The White House disclosed on Thursday that Russia utilized short-range ballistic missiles sourced from North Korea in its recent series of attacks against Ukraine. The announcement was based on newly declassified intelligence, leading to heightened concerns and a promise of further action from the United States.
National security spokesperson John Kirby addressed reporters, labeling North Korea's arms transfer to Russia as a "significant and concerning escalation." Kirby vowed that the United States would raise the issue with the United Nations Security Council and impose additional sanctions against those involved in facilitating the illicit arms deals.
Both Moscow and Pyongyang denied any such arms deals, despite deepening military relations announced last year. The revelation drew swift condemnation from Britain and South Korea, which had previously reported in November suspicions that North Korea had supplied SRBMs to Russia as part of a broader arms deal.
Kirby stated, "Our information indicates that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea recently provided Russia with ballistic missile launchers and several ballistic missiles." He revealed that on December 30, Russian forces launched at least one of these North Korean ballistic missiles into Ukraine, with additional launches occurring on Tuesday as part of a broader wave of heavy air strikes.
The White House refrained from specifying the type of missiles sent by Pyongyang but mentioned a range of about 900 km (550 miles). A graphic released by Kirby suggested the involvement of KN-23 and KN-25 missiles, which are new, solid-propellant SRBMs that North Korea began testing in 2019.
Jenny Town, director of the Stimson Center's 38 North Program, commented on the significance of this development, stating, "Just like the artillery and munitions, this all helps prolong Russia's warfighting efforts."
While the U.S. did not confirm the exact missiles used, Ankit Panda of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace noted that these were the first known combat uses of North Korean missiles with a range of 900 km. Joost Oliemans, an expert on North Korea's military, supported this claim, citing images from Ukrainian social media showing fragments characteristic to North Korea's Hwasong-11 family of missiles.
Kirby expressed concerns that Russia and North Korea might continue such collaboration, expecting additional North Korean missiles to be used against Ukraine. He also indicated that while Iran has not delivered close-range ballistic missiles to Russia, there are concerns that Russia intends to purchase missile systems from Iran, given its reliance on Iranian weaponry in the conflict with Ukraine. The situation remains tense as the international community grapples with the implications of this alarming development.
