US intelligence has determined that Russia has used North Korean ballistic missiles in some of its latest attacks against Ukraine and is also negotiating with Iran to purchase short-range ballistic missiles.
John Kirby, one of the White House spokespersons, offered details on Thursday in a press conference of US intelligence information that indicates that North Korea has provided Russia with ballistic missile launchers and those same missiles.
According to Kirby, Russia fired at least one of those ballistic missiles toward Ukraine on December 30, 2023, and also launched "multiple" North Korean ballistic missiles on January 2 of this year as part of another attack against Ukrainian infrastructure.
These missiles were part of the missile and drone bombardments that Russia carried out against Ukraine in the last days of 2023 and early this year, in what has been the largest attack since the start of the war, in February 2022.
The spokesperson considered that the launch of these missiles, with a range of approximately 900 kilometers, represents a "significant" and "worrying" escalation in the support that, according to Washington, North Korea provides Russia in its war in Ukraine.
In exchange for these missiles, Pyongyang seeks military assistance from Russia, including aircraft, armored vehicles and other advanced technology, Kirby detailed.
The United States has for months accused North Korea of supplying weapons to Russia for the war in Ukraine and has harshly criticized the meeting that took place in September 2023 between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, of which no agreement was made public.
"Like artillery and munitions, all of this helps prolong Russia's war efforts," said Jenny Town, director of the Stimson Center's 38 North Program, which studies North Korea.
While the White House did not specifically say what type of missiles Pyongyang had sent to Russia, Kirby said they had a range of about 900 kilometers and posted a graphic that appeared to show KN-23 and KN-24 missiles.
These missiles are the new solid-propellant SRBMs that North Korea began testing in 2019, said Ankit Panda of the U.S.-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "This is the first known combat use of these North Korean missiles," he said.
Joost Oliemans, a Dutch researcher and expert on North Korea's military, said images from Ukrainian social media accounts clearly show fragments of the ring that houses the characteristic control paddles of North Korea's Hwasong-11 family of missiles. which includes the KN-23 and KN-25.
China, which has ties to both North Korea and Russia, said it had no information about their cooperation, and Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin called on all sides to commit to easing tensions and creating conditions favorable for a political solution to the Ukrainian crisis.
Regarding Iran, Kirby indicated that US intelligence has information about Russian attempts to purchase short-range ballistic missiles from Iran, although those negotiations are ongoing and have not yet been finalized.
"At this time, we do not believe that Iran has delivered short-range ballistic missiles to Russia. However, the United States is concerned that Russia's negotiations to acquire short-range ballistic missiles from Iran are actively moving forward," he said.
The United States has previously accused Iran of providing drones to Russia for the war in Ukraine.
