West accuses North Korea of supplying Russia

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS - In Brief 19 Dec 2022 by Alex Teddy

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In November 2022 the US said that North Korea was selling shells to Russia to use in Ukraine. Russia has run down its stock of ammunition and missiles.  The UN put an arms embargo on North Korea in 2016. Arms sales would be a breach of this. North Korea and Russia deny any arms trade. North Korean arms are mostly Soviet designs. It has not been proven that North Korean made weapons have been used in Ukraine. But it might be impossible to distinguish them from Russian-made arms. North Korea made 122 mm rockets for BM 21 Grad missile launchers.  North Korea makes surface-to-air missiles and rocket-propelled grenades.  In November 2022 Ukraine said Russia had fired over 4,700 missiles in the war. Russia is trying to increase arms production. North Korea has a 17 km border with Russia. North Korean workers have been rebuilding occupied Ukraine. But arms shipments might go via a third country to disguise them.  It is suspected that North Korean quality control is low.