Russia used North Korean missiles against Ukraine, White House says

The ballistic missiles were fired against Ukraine on 30 December and 2 January

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby speaks about alleged North Korean ballistic missiles fired by Russia into Ukraine during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., January 4, 2024 (REUTERS)

Russia’s armed forces have launched several North Korean-made ballistic missiles into Ukraine over the last week and could make further use of similar weapons in the coming days, the White House has said.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Thursday that US intelligence had indicated that Pyongyang had recently supplied the weapons — including several launchers and ballistic missiles — to the Russian government, which launched at least one of them into Ukrainian territory on 30 December.

That missile landed in an open field in the Zaphorizia region of Ukraine, he said. He also said Russia launched “multiple” North Korea-made ballistic missiles into Ukraine during an “overnight aerial attack” on 2 January, and stressed that the impacts of those missiles is still being assessed.

Mr Kirby said Russia’s use of North Korean weaponry is evidence that Moscow “has become increasingly isolated on the world stage” and stressed that the US believes Russia “will use additional North Korean missiles to target Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and to kill innocent Ukrainian civilians”.

“These North Korean ballistic missiles are capable ranges of approximately 900 kilometres that’s about 550 miles. This is a significant and concerning escalation in the DPRK’s support for Russia,” he said.

He added that Pyongyang appears to be trading the missiles for other “military assistance” from Moscow, including “fighter aircraft, surface-to-air missiles, armoured vehicles, ballistic missile production equipment, or materials and other advanced technologies”.

“This would have concerning security implications for ... the Korean peninsula and the Indo-Pacific region,” he said.

Mr Kirby noted that Russia’s decision to seek ballistic missile technology from North Korea “directly violates multiple UN Security Council resolutions,” and said the US would be raising the matter with the council “alongside our allies and partners”.

“We will demand that Russia be held accountable for yet again, violating its international obligations,” he said before adding that the US will “impose additional sanctions against those working to facilitate arms transfers between Russia and the DPRK”.