The United States has announced new sanctions targeting Russian entities and an individual for their involvement in the transfer and testing of North Korean ballistic missiles, which are being used by Russia in its military operations against Ukraine. This development was confirmed by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement on January 11 according to Reuters.
Secretary Blinken emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating,
“The transfer of ballistic missiles from North Korea to Russia supports Russia's aggressive war, increases the suffering of the Ukrainian people, and undermines the global non-proliferation regime.”
He further asserted the U.S. commitment to monitoring any support provided by Russia to North Korea in exchange for these weapons, vowing to utilize all available tools to identify and expose those involved in the weapons transfer.
“We will not hesitate to take further measures,” Blinken added, highlighting the U.S. determination to respond to these developments.
The use of North Korean ballistic missiles by Russia was also confirmed by White House National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby on January 4. Kirby revealed that strikes on Ukrainian territory using DPRK missiles occurred on December 30 and January 2.
He detailed an incident where a North Korean missile landed in Zaporizhzhia Oblast during the first large-scale attack, followed by several missiles of the same kind launched by Russia on January 2.
The international response to these revelations included a meeting of the UN Security Council, convened at the behest of Ukraine’s permanent representative to the UN, Sergiy Kyslytsya, on January 5. The meeting was called in response to North Korea's provision of ballistic missiles to Russia, which were then used in attacks against Ukraine.
