UK condemns Russia for using North Korean ballistic missiles on Ukraine

Sunak administration asks North Korea to ‘cease arms supply to Russia’

Britain condemned Russia’s decision to use North Korea-sourced ballistic missiles on Ukraine in recent attacks by Vladimir Putin’s forces during its continuing invasion.

“The UK strongly condemns Russia’s decision to use ballistic missiles sourced from North Korea in recent attacks against Ukraine,” the UK’s foreign office spokesperson said in a statement.

“We urge North Korea to cease its arms supply to Russia,” the statement said.

The White House on Thursday confirmed North Korea’s shipment of ballistic missiles and launchers to Russia for use in invasion of Ukraine, citing newly declassified intelligence. Russia has fired some of these missiles into Ukraine.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the 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.

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 have 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.

The UK Foreign Office spokesperson said North Korea is subject to a robust sanctions regime.

"The UK will continue to work with its partners to ensure that North Korea pays a high price for supporting Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine."

This comes as the South Korean defence ministry called for an immediate halt of weapons dealing between North Korea and Russia.

The US intelligence finding backs South Korea’s assessment that North Korea has increased its cooperation with Moscow.

In November, South Korea’s military warned of suspicion that North Korea had sent an unspecified number of short-range ballistic missiles, anti-tank missiles and portable anti-air missiles to Russia, in addition to rifles, rocket launchers, mortars and shells.

The Biden administration has repeatedly pointed out that Mr Putin is becoming increasingly reliant on North Korea and Iran, for the arms it needs to fight its war against Ukraine and has disclosed intelligence findings that it says show as much.

Satellite images from 5 October showed a “dramatic and unprecedented level of freight railcar traffic” at the Tumangang rail facility, according to Beyond Parallel, a website run by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Approximately 73 railcars were visible in the images from last week, whereas previous satellite pictures over the past five years showed about 20 railcars at this facility at the most.

Additionally, the US will raise this with the United Nations Security Council and impose additional sanctions against those facilitating the arms deal.

Mr Kirby also said Russian officials continue to make efforts to buy ballistic missiles from Iran.

Russia could receive Iranian short-range ballistic missiles as early as spring 2024, according to unidentified US officials, reported The Wall Street Journal. It added that officials do not believe Russia and Iran have finalised the deal yet.