US and allies accuse North Korea and Russia of violating UN sanctions
They made the accusations in their first report since joining forces to monitor sanctions against North Korea after Russia vetoed a resolution in March 2024 to continue the monitoring by a UN Security Council panel of experts.
It had been issuing reports of Pyongyang's sanctions violations since 2010.
The 29-page report produced by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team — comprised of the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea and the United Kingdom — said the evidence it gathered demonstrates that North Korea and Russia have engaged in 'myriad unlawful activities' explicitly prohibited by UN sanctions resolutions.
It said North Korea has transferred arms and related materiel by sea, air and rail, including artillery, ballistic missiles and combat vehicles, for Russia's use in the war in Ukraine.
Russia has transferred air defence systems to North Korea, and its forces trained the North's troops deployed to support Russia's war, the team said.
And Moscow also has supplied refined petroleum products to Pyongyang in far excess of the yearly cap under UN sanctions, and has maintained corresponding banking relations with the North in violation of sanctions.
The 11 countries said this unlawful cooperation has 'contributed to Moscow's ability to increase its missile attacks against Ukrainian cities, including targeted strikes against critical civilian infrastructure.'
The cooperation has also provided resources for North Korea to fund its military and banned ballistic missile programmes, and it has allowed the more than 11,000 troops Pyongyang has deployed to Russia since October 2024 to gain first-hand military experience, the team said.
There was no immediate response from the Russian Mission to the United Nations to a request for comment on the report.
The report covers the period between January 1, 2024, and April 30, 2025, and points to evidence that Russia and North Korea intend to further deepen their military cooperation for at least the foreseeable future.
It cites an unnamed country in the team reporting that Russian-flagged cargo vessels delivered as many as 9 million rounds of ammunition for artillery and multiple rocket launchers from North Korea to Russia in 2024.
The report includes images of containers, which the team says were from North Korean and Russian ports and an ammunition dump in Russia.
Citing an unnamed team member, the report says North Korea last year transferred at least 100 ballistic missiles to Russia, which were launched into Ukraine 'to destroy civilian infrastructure and terrorise populated areas such as Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia.'
It also transferred 'elements of three brigade sets of heavy artillery,' the report said.
It includes images of a North Korean 170mm self-propelled gun that it said was being transported through Russia, and North Korean multiple rocket launcher ammunition and an anti-tank missile, which it said were found in Ukraine.
The team said in a joint statement that it will continue to monitor implementation of UN resolutions 'and raise awareness of ongoing attempts to violate and evade UN sanctions'.
It urged North Korea 'to engage in meaningful diplomacy'.
The Security Council imposed sanctions after North Korea's first nuclear test explosion in 2006 and tightened them over the years in a total of 10 resolutions seeking, so far unsuccessfully, to cut funds and curb its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes
The last sanctions resolution was adopted by the council in December 2017.
China and Russia vetoed a US-sponsored resolution in May 2022 that would have imposed new sanctions over a spate of intercontinental ballistic missile launches, and have blocked all other UN action against North Korea.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
'Stop letting criminals choose their own gender', UN warns after UK police forces allow 49 rapists to identify as female offenders
The United Nations has warned over letting criminals choose their own gender, after a new report found that 49 rapists were allowed to identify as female offenders in the UK. Reem Alsalem, the UN's special rapporteur for violence against women and girls, said at least a third of UK forces were still collecting data on criminals and victims' self-identified gender rather than their assigned sex at birth. Criticising British institutions, she said that the approach 'neglects women's and girls' specific needs' and increases safety risks, Ms Alsalem said in her interim report, which was published on Friday. Over the last 10 years, 49 convictions for rape have been listed as female, despite the fact the offenders were born male. Ms Alsalem added that the 'lack of legislative clarity on sex hampers data collection on violence against women and girls. 'Police data, while disaggregated by crime and location, often conflates the sex with the gender, for data on victims and perpetrators'. Her remarks come a month after the Supreme Court ruled that the definition of a woman relates to 'biological sex'. Lord Hodge said that five Supreme Court justices had unanimously decided that 'the terms woman and sex in the Equality Act refer to a 'biological woman and biological sex'. He recognised 'the strength of feeling on both sides' and cautioned against seeing the judgement as a triumph for one side over another, stressing that the law still gives trans people protection against discrimination. In an 88-page ruling, the justices said: 'The definition of sex in the Equality Act 2010 makes clear that the concept of sex is binary, a person is either a woman or a man.' The decision could have far-reaching implications on how sex-based rights apply, including how women-only spaces are allowed to operate. The judgement marks the culmination of a long-running legal battle between the Scottish government and a women's group over the definition of a 'woman' in Scottish legislation mandating 50 per cent female representation on public boards. The case centred on whether somebody with a gender recognition certificate (GRC) recognising their gender as female should be treated as a woman under the 2010 Equality Act. In handing down the court's judgement, Lord Hodge said: 'The unanimous decision of this court is that the terms 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 refer to biological woman and biological sex.' 'In a judgement written by Lady Rose, Lady Simler and myself, with whom Lord Reed and Lord Lloyd-Jones agree, we unanimously allow the appeal,' he added. Lord Hodge said: 'But we counsel against reading this judgement as a triumph for one or more groups in our society at the expense of another. It is not… 'The Equality Act gives transgender people protection not only against discrimination through the protected characteristics of gender reassignment, but also against direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, and harassment, in substance in their acquired gender.' He recognised the 'strength of feeling on all sides' which lies behind the case, adding: 'On the one hand women, who make up one half of the population, have campaigned for over 150 years to have equality with men and to combat discrimination based on their sex. That work still continues. 'On the other hand, a vulnerable and often harassed minority, the trans community, struggle against discrimination and prejudice as they seek to live their lives with dignity.' The judgement was celebrated by women's rights groups, who cheered outside the court, opened a bottle of champagne and broke into song after the ruling was handed down. But a furious protester shouted 'trans rights are human rights' at those gathered, adding: 'Even if you kill every last one of us another will be born tomorrow.'
Sky News
4 hours ago
- Sky News
Last hospital in northern Gaza out of service after evacuation
The last working hospital in northern Gaza is no longer functional according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) - a day after staff reported Israeli troops had surrounded the site. The WHO said Al-Awda Hospital went out of service on Thursday, and patients and health workers evacuated the same evening for fear of their safety. It said that the hospital's closure is "severing a critical lifeline for the people" in northern Gaza, and pleaded "for the hospital's protection and staff and patients' safety". Israeli authorities issued evacuation orders last week for large parts of northern Gaza ahead of offensives against Hamas, although the army did not order the hospital itself to evacuate. Dr Rami al Ashrafi told the Associated Press on Thursday that Al-Awda Hospital had been encircled by Israeli troops and had come under fire in recent days. 0:21 Gaza situation 'worst since war began' - UN It comes as the United Nations said on Friday that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is the worst since the war between Israel and Hamas began in October 2023 - despite a resumption in aid deliveries. Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York that while "any aid that gets into the hands of people who need it is good," the deliveries have so far had "very, very little impact". He added: "The catastrophic situation in Gaza is the worst since the war began." The UN and other international aid groups have refused to work with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) - supported by Israel and the US - as they claim it is not neutral and forces the displacement of Palestinians by its distribution of aid. 0:32 As of Friday, GHF said that it has managed to distribute more than 2.1 million meals. Israel's UN ambassador Danny Danon said this week it would allow aid deliveries from both GHF and the UN's operations. Meanwhile, Hamas said it was still reviewing a US-proposed ceasefire a day after the White House said Israel accepted the offer. US President Donald Trump said in Washington that both sides were "very close to an agreement on Gaza, and we'll let you know about it during the day or maybe tomorrow". The proposal reportedly calls for a 60-day pause in fighting, and the release of nine living hostages and half of the known hostages who have died, over the course of a week. Israel and Hamas would then continue talks to bring the remaining hostages home, but Israel would retain the right to resume military action in Gaza if talks were to break down. According to Reuters, some 28 Israeli hostages - alive and dead - would be returned in the first week of the ceasefire, in exchange for 125 Palestinian prisoners sentenced for life and the remains of 180 dead.
New European
5 hours ago
- New European
Ukraine braces for a cruel summer
The summer months will be crucial as they may provide answers to questions that inform us exactly how close the conflict is to reaching a resolution. The war in Ukraine is approaching what could be its most critical stage yet, as officials in Kyiv say Russia's anticipated summer offensive has already started. Those questions include: does Russia have the resources to push further into Ukraine; how deep are Ukraine's defensive capabilities; how much violence can Trump stomach before turning on Vladimir Putin; can Europeans put Ukraine in a strong enough position to secure long-term peace on its own terms – both for itself and the continent. Security officials in Kyiv believe that Putin's immediate priority is convincing the West that he's in total control of when and how the war ends. He has recently talked of creating a 'buffer zone' between the Ukrainian frontline and territory that Russia has occupied, apparently to allow the space for a ceasefire. Of course, there is a perverse irony to Putin, who is currently ordering strikes on civilians and not bothering to attend formal ceasefire talks, claiming he wants peace with a straight face. Ukrainian officials believe his current actions are more about convincing Trump and Ukraine's western allies that he can achieve his objectives without the need for an agreement with Ukraine – effectively going over Kyiv's head, thereby robbing the country of a say in its own fate. 'Putin believes he can destroy Ukraine's statehood if he's given the time,' says a source close to President Zelensky. 'The Kremlin wants to convince Trump to give it the space to force Ukraine into a position, so no need to negotiate. They want defeat to seem so inevitable that America and Europe stop sending weapons to Ukraine and instead focus on their own stockpiles.' Current situation When Ukraine's officials say the summer offensive is underway, they point to the visible build-up of Russian troops in various positions across the frontline. 'At the moment, we are seeing tanks gathering in places on the frontline, looking for gaps or weak points in control zones,' says a Ukrainian security official. 'We know they do not have massive resources at the moment, but if they can find these weak points, then they could make significant gains further into our territory.' These sorts of gains, combined with the increased drone and missile strikes deeper in Ukraine, would allow the Kremlin to make the case that they are on the brink of victory, while draining it of resources, like anti-missile defences, drones, anti-tank mines and, of course, personnel. Suggested Reading What does real justice for Ukraine look like? Andy Owen It's no secret that the war has been difficult for Ukraine. Russia is a much larger country with greater resources in terms of people and manufacturing capacity. Among its closest allies are brutal dictatorships like China, North Korea and Iran, who have no particular qualms about selling them weapons – or in the case of North Korea, people. While they don't expect a Ukrainian collapse this summer by any stretch of the imagination, officials in Ukraine do believe that the summer offensive of 2025 will be harder than previous years. They are keen that Western allies know exactly how and why it might be so difficult. 'Lots of people come here and want to tell positive stories about our resilience, and that is good,' says Serhii Kuzan, Chairman of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center. 'But at the moment, we cannot manufacture weapons or recruit as fast as the Russians. We need people outside the country to understand how we can address this.' What friends are for Ukraine's Western allies have given Kyiv a lot of money and weapons to hold off Russia. But more is needed if Ukraine is to keep Putin at bay. To this end, Ukraine has tried to make investing in its defence industry more appealing to allies – notably in Europe, where countries are preparing to splash up to $800bn rearming themselves by 2030. Ukraine's defence industry capacity has grown from $1bn a year in 2022 to an expected $35bn by the end of 2025. Officials in Kyiv believe that current output is considerably lower. That means there is potential for Western countries to place orders directly with Ukrainian manufacturers, then donate the weapons made in-country to the Ukrainian forces. As the European Union recently noted: 'Direct support to Ukraine's defence industry is the most effective and cost-efficient way to support Ukraine's military efforts, notably through direct procurement orders from its defence industry by Member States for donation to Ukraine.' This wouldn't be pure charity on behalf of Europeans. There are selfish and long-term incentives for European countries to invest in the Ukrainian defence industry – something officials in Kyiv know and are eager to exploit. The war has made the country a true front-line testing ground for cutting-edge technologies. 'What might take you months, even years of developing, testing and manufacturing in the West will only take weeks here,' a Ukrainian defence official said at a closed-door meeting I attended last month in Kyiv. 'We are the best test field in the world because mistakes here mean death. We can tell you very quickly how your product does or does not work on the battlefield because we have one. We don't mind people thinking of us as a testing ground in that sense.' Ukraine currently cannot export weapons for obvious reasons. However, a wise European arms manufacturer might see this as an open door to get a jump start on their competitors, developing the technology Europe will desperately need at a faster pace with cheaper overheads. If those export controls are lifted and the war does come to some kind of end, those with operational factories might be well placed to hoover up a decent chunk of the $800bn European spending. Building bridges The other area Russia has a distinct advantage on Ukraine is in pure manpower. While exact figures are hard to come by, Russia has a massive population and a leader who isn't shy about forcing people to fight his battles. An example: Putin's disregard for human life is hardly a secret, even when it comes to his own troops. The term 'meat grinder' is widely used in security circles to describe Russia's tactic of sending waves of troops to inevitable death in order to make relatively small gains. Members of Russia's government, for reasons known only to themselves, demonstrated their lack of compassion by giving mothers of fallen soldiers actual meat grinders on International Women's Day earlier this year. Ukraine has suffered heavy losses throughout the war. Even with conscription and volunteers, matching Russia in the numbers game is not easy. Officials in Kyiv know that Western troops are not going to join the battle against Russia. The best they can possibly hope for is governments like Britain and others in the Coalition of the Willing agreeing to put peacekeepers on the ground – something that would require a formal peace deal and the approval of Russia. However, Western countries could help Ukraine address its numbers problem in other ways. 'There is appetite in lots of countries for people to come and fight in Ukraine,' says Kuzan. 'If you look at South America, lots of people want to come and serve in the International Legion. Countries like Spain and Portugal who have historic and cultural ties, who speak the same languages could help build some kind of bridge and reach those people. Other European nations could build hubs where people can travel, sign up and get into Ukraine.' The Orange One The final and arguably most important role for Europe this summer is to keep Trump as happy as possible. Right now, he seems to be getting the message that Putin is out of his mind and more than happy to keep killing innocent civilians. He has even admitted that Putin isn't listening to him. The European leaders that Trump likes and listens to (yes, that's you Sir Keir) must keep pressing the case for American funding. The most terrifying prospect for those of us who have been in Ukraine while Russia fires ballistics is what happens when certain ammunition runs out? Ukraine's supply of air-defence missiles is dwindling and can realistically only be replenished with US approval. Yes, Trump needs to understand what we in Europe understand: that Ukraine's loss would be a loss for everyone who Russia considers an adversary, including the United States. But he also must be grovelled to and made to feel loved by us if that's what it takes to keep the weapons coming. As degrading as that might feel, Europe is simply not in a position to fill the gap left by America any time soon. The specifics of what's happening in Ukraine can feel remote and can be hard to understand. What's easier to understand is that Ukraine has held on against the odds for three years. This summer, we in the West must do everything in our power to ensure that those three years were not for nothing – and that Ukraine remains in a position to end this war on its own terms. For its sake and our own.
