Russia has rebuilt its own domestic supply of cruise missiles, but to keep up with the intensity of the barrage against Ukraine, it has been turning to North Korea and Iran.
The White House accused North Korea on Thursday of providing Russia with ballistic missiles that Moscow has begun to fire on targets in Ukraine, and said that in return the North was seeking a range of Russian military technologies.
The North Korean-produced missiles, with a range of 550 miles, were shipped to Russia in violation of United Nations restrictions on the North, the White House said as it made public recently declassified intelligence findings. The government of Kim Jong-un regularly ignores the missile restrictions.
John Kirby, a White House national security spokesman, said that some of the first of the North Korean-made missiles were fired into Ukraine on Tuesday, though it was unclear how much damage they might have done. In recent weeks, Russia has stepped up its missile and drone attacks against civilian targets and infrastructure in Kyiv and other cities, intent on trying to erode Ukraine’s will to fight at a moment when Ukraine is running short on missiles and ammunition of its own.
Such a move by North Korea poses two major challenges to the United States. It suggests that Russia is bolstering its own production of missiles with new supplies at a time when Congress is still holding up additional aid to Ukraine, including for artillery and air defense systems. And it suggests that Russia, which once cooperated with the United States in trying to restrain North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs, is now considering helping the North develop better delivery systems.
Russia has rebuilt its own domestic supply of cruise missiles, and shorter-range missiles and artillery, despite Western financial sanctions and export controls. But to keep up with the intensity of the barrage against Ukraine, it has been turning to North Korea and Iran. Mr. Kirby said that the range of the missiles now being shipped from North Korea meant that they could be launched from well inside Russia — where launch sites are harder for Ukraine to hit — and still reach a number of Ukrainian cities.
The technology North Korea is seeking includes fighter jets and ballistic-missile launch technology, Mr. Kirby said. Other American officials have reported that the North is also seeking more help on the range and accuracy of its intercontinental ballistic missiles, which it has repeatedly tested in recent months. But it is not clear whether Russia has agreed to further help the North on these nuclear-capable missiles. In the past, North Korea has relied heavily on what appeared to be Russian missile designs, but it has never been clear how closely it has worked with Russian engineers.
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