White House Accuses Russia Of Using North Korean Ballistic Missiles To Attack Ukraine

John Kirby. (Wikimedia Commons/The White House)

JAKARTA - The White House accused Russia of using North Korea's short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) to carry out a number of attacks on Ukraine, citing newly opened intelligence data.

White House National Security Spokesman John Kirby told reporters the United States would discuss this development with the UN Security Council.

Kirby called North Korea's arms transfer to Russia "significant and worrying escalation", saying Washington would impose additional sanctions on those facilitating the arms deal.

Both Moscow and Pyongyang denied making any weapons deals, but last year pledged to deepen military ties.

The use of the missile came under fire from Britain, as well as South Korea, which reported in November that North Korea may have supplied SRBM to Russia as part of a larger arms deal that also includes anti-tank and anti-air missiles, as well as artillery, mortars and rifles.

"Our information shows that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea recently provided Russia with some of its ballistic missiles and launchers," Kirby said, using North Korea's official name.

On December 30, he said, "Russian troops launched at least one North Korean ballistic missile into Ukraine," adding the missile appeared to have landed on an open field.

Then on Tuesday Russia launched some' North Korean missiles as part of a broader wave of large airstrikes, Kirby said. Washington still assesses the impact of these missiles.

Russia recently launched some of the most intense attacks on Ukraine since the war began nearly two years ago. Kyiv himself on Tuesday said Russia had launched more than 300 strike drones and various types of missiles against cities across Ukraine since Friday.

Although the White House did not specify what type of missile Pyongyang sent to Russia, Kirby said the missile had a range of about 900 km (550 miles) and released a graph showing KN-23 and KN-25 missiles.

Such missiles are new solid-fueled SRBMs that North Korea began testing in 2019, said Ankit Panda, from the Uncle Sam's country-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

"This is the first known use of North Korean missiles in combat," he said.

Kirby said the US expects Russia and North Korea to learn from this launch, and anticipates Russia will use missiles from North Korea's additional assets to target Ukraine.

He said Iran had not yet delivered a close-range ballistic missile to Russia, but Washington believed Russia intended to buy a missile system from Iran.

Moscow is considered very dependent on Iran for drones and other weapons to use against Ukraine.