Latest news with #MSMT
Korea Herald
4 days ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
US official briefs UN on NK sanctions monitoring report
A US diplomat briefed UN member states on a recent report by an international North Korea sanctions monitoring team at the UN in New York on Thursday, focusing on military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, the State Department said. Seth Bailey, the department's director for Korean and Mongolian affairs, gave the briefing on the first report by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, a group established in October last year to monitor and report violations and evasions of UN sanctions on North Korea. The MSMT was established after a UN expert panel, tasked with monitoring sanctions enforcement, was disbanded in April last year due to Russia's veto of a resolution to extend its mandate. The new group consists of 11 countries, including South Korea, the United States, Japan, Australia and Canada. "Director Bailey detailed evidence of North Korea's arms and materiel transfers to Russia, Russia's transfer of military technology to North Korea, and Russia's training of North Korean troops in Russia," the department said in a media note. "Director Bailey shared that the United States continues to support the complete denuclearization of North Korea and is determined to hold it accountable for its UN sanctions violations," it added. The diplomat also noted that the MSMT aims to continue publishing "timely, globally relevant and fact-based" reports on North Korea's UN sanctions violations across a range of topics. Released in late May, the first MSMT report found that Russia has provided the North with air defense systems, electronic warfare jamming devices and other military support since late last year in violation of UN sanctions Thursday's briefing came as Russia and North Korea have been deepening bilateral cooperation as seen in a recent visit to Pyongyang by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the North's reported decision to send additional military personnel to Russia. (Yonhap)
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia to help North Korea produce Shahed-type drones, Ukraine's spy chief says
Russia has agreed to help North Korea begin domestic production of Shahed-type "kamikaze" drones, Ukraine's military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said in an interview with the War Zone magazine published on June 9. Shahed drones could enable North Korea to strike targets across South Korea, potentially overwhelming air defenses, and could also assist Russia in its war against Ukraine, the War Zone wrote. Budanov said Moscow and Pyongyang reached an agreement to start organizing the manufacturing of Iranian-designed Garpiya and Geran drones — the latter being Russia's designation for the Shahed-136 loitering munition — on North Korean territory. "It's more about technology transfer," Budanov told the outlet, warning that the development could upset the military balance on the Korean Peninsula. "They just agreed to start the organization of this production." Shahed drones, cheap and packed with explosives, have become a central weapon in Russia's aerial assaults on Ukraine since their introduction in late 2022. Known for flying long distances before slamming into targets, they are now mass-produced by Russia and launched in near-nightly waves to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses. The news comes amid deepening military ties between Russia and North Korea. According to a May 29 report by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT), Pyongyang shipped to Russia up to 9 million artillery shells and at least 100 ballistic missiles in 2024 alone. North Korea's involvement in the war expanded in fall 2024, when it deployed thousands of troops to Russia's western border to help fend off a large-scale Ukrainian incursion. The move followed the signing of a defense treaty between the two countries in June 2024, obligating both to provide military aid if either is attacked. North Korea acknowledged its role in the war only in April 2025. A month later, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un said the country's participation was part of a "sacred mission," aligning Pyongyang's narrative with Moscow's. Kim remains a vocal ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, supplying not only soldiers but also artillery, drones, and ballistic missiles. During Russia's May 9 Victory Day Parade in Moscow, Putin personally greeted North Korean troops, though Kim did not attend. Read also: In one of largest attacks on Ukraine's capital, Russian barrage hits Kyiv, Odesa, kills 2, injures 12 We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kim Jong Un vows to ‘unconditionally support' Russia's war against Ukraine
June 4 (UPI) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he would "unconditionally support" Russia's war against Ukraine, state-run media reported Thursday, in the latest sign of growing military ties between the two countries. Kim made the remark during a meeting Wednesday with Russia's Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu in Pyongyang, the official Korean Central News Agency said. The North Korean leader "affirmed that the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea would ... unconditionally support the stand of Russia and its foreign policies in all the crucial international political issues including the Ukrainian issue," KCNA said, using the official name of North Korea. Pyongyang sent over 11,000 troops to Russia in 2024, and another 3,000 in the early months of this year, a report from the 11-country Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team said last week. North Korea acknowledged sending the troops for the first time in April, claiming they helped recapture lost territory in Kursk Province from Ukrainian forces. Shoigu "conveyed the special thanks of the Russian leadership for the matchless heroism and self-sacrificing spirit displayed by the Korean people's excellent sons who participated in the operations for liberating the Kursk area," KCNA said. The North Korean troops "defended the precious part of the Russian territory as they would do their own motherland, fighting shoulder to shoulder with the Russian soldiers in the same trench," Shoigu, the former Defense Minister, added. In addition to troops, the North has shipped as many as 9 million rounds of mixed artillery and multiple rocket launcher ammunition and at least 100 ballistic missiles, according to the MSMT report. Pyongyang's military assistance has "contributed to Moscow's ability to increase its missile attacks against Ukrainian cities including targeted strikes against critical civilian infrastructure," the MSMT said. South Korea, the United States and its allies believe North Korea is receiving advanced weapons technology and economic assistance in return. During Wednesday's meeting, Kim "expressed expectation and conviction that Russia would, as ever, surely win victory in the just and sacred cause for defending its national sovereignty, territorial integrity and security interests."
UPI
05-06-2025
- Politics
- UPI
Kim Jong Un vows to 'unconditionally support' Russia's war against Ukraine
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to "unconditionally support" Russia in its war against Ukraine, state-run media reported Thursday. Kim made the comment during a meeting with Russia's Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu, seen here with Kim in 2023 in his former role as Defense Minister. Photo courtesy of Russian Defense Ministry Press Service/EPA-EFE June 4 (UPI) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he would "unconditionally support" Russia's war against Ukraine, state-run media reported Thursday, in the latest sign of growing military ties between the two countries. Kim made the remark during a meeting Wednesday with Russia's Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu in Pyongyang, the official Korean Central News Agency said. The North Korean leader "affirmed that the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea would ... unconditionally support the stand of Russia and its foreign policies in all the crucial international political issues including the Ukrainian issue," KCNA said, using the official name of North Korea. Pyongyang sent over 11,000 troops to Russia in 2024, and another 3,000 in the early months of this year, a report from the 11-country Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team said last week. North Korea acknowledged sending the troops for the first time in April, claiming they helped recapture lost territory in Kursk Province from Ukrainian forces. Shoigu "conveyed the special thanks of the Russian leadership for the matchless heroism and self-sacrificing spirit displayed by the Korean people's excellent sons who participated in the operations for liberating the Kursk area," KCNA said. The North Korean troops "defended the precious part of the Russian territory as they would do their own motherland, fighting shoulder to shoulder with the Russian soldiers in the same trench," Shoigu, the former Defense Minister, added. In addition to troops, the North has shipped as many as 9 million rounds of mixed artillery and multiple rocket launcher ammunition and at least 100 ballistic missiles, according to the MSMT report. Pyongyang's military assistance has "contributed to Moscow's ability to increase its missile attacks against Ukrainian cities including targeted strikes against critical civilian infrastructure," the MSMT said. South Korea, the United States and its allies believe North Korea is receiving advanced weapons technology and economic assistance in return. During Wednesday's meeting, Kim "expressed expectation and conviction that Russia would, as ever, surely win victory in the just and sacred cause for defending its national sovereignty, territorial integrity and security interests."
Egypt Independent
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
14,000 troops, 100 ballistic missiles and millions of munitions: What North Korea has sent to Russia, report finds
CNN — North Korea has sent soldiers and millions of munitions, including missiles and rockets, to Russia over the past year, according to a new report by an international watchdog, which details the extent to which Pyongyang has helped Moscow 'terrorize' Ukraine's population over its three-year war. The report was released Thursday by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT), an initiative made up of 11 United Nations members, formed after Russia forced the disbandment of a previous UN panel that monitored the implementation of sanctions against North Korea. While some of the team's findings have been well documented – such as North Korea sending troops to fight for Russia – the report lays out the stunning scope and scale of weaponry sent from Pyongyang since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. That includes as many as 9 million rounds of artillery and ammunition in 2024; more than 11,000 troops last year, and another 3,000 troops in the early months of this year; rocket launchers, vehicles, self-propelled guns and other types of heavy artillery; and at least 100 ballistic missiles 'which were subsequently launched into Ukraine to destroy civilian infrastructure and terrorize populated areas such as Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia,' the report found, citing participating states. 'These forms of unlawful cooperation between (North Korea) and Russia contributed to Moscow's ability to increase its missile attacks against Ukrainian cities including targeted strikes against critical civilian infrastructure,' the report said. In return, Russia provided North Korea with various valuable pieces of weaponry and technology, including air defense equipment, anti-aircraft missiles, electronic warfare systems and refined oil, the report said. A news broadcast in Seoul, South Korea, showing a Russian military facility reportedly used as a training ground for North Korean troops sent to assist in the war against Ukraine. Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images/SIPAPRE/AP Moscow has also provided data feedback on Pyongyang's ballistic missiles, helping improve its missile guidance performance, it said. These actions 'allow North Korea to fund its military programs and further develop its ballistic missiles programs, which are themselves prohibited under multiple (UN Security Council resolutions), and gain first-hand experience in modern warfare,' the report found. It said its findings were based on MSMT participating states and cited supporting evidence from the Open Source Centre (OSC), a UK-based non-profit that uses publicly accessible information for research, and Conflict Armament Research (CAR), a UK-based research organization. Both Russia and North Korea are violating the UN arms embargo and are transferring arms and military equipment through actors and networks that evade sanctions, the report alleged. The two countries will likely continue their military cooperation 'at least for the foreseeable future,' it added. In a joint statement, the member nations behind the MSMT – Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States – urged North Korea to 'engage in meaningful diplomacy.' Western governments have become increasingly concerned about the long-term implications of what appears to be a deepening strategic partnership between the two nations. In recent months, the US has warned that Russia may be close to sharing advanced space and satellite technology with North Korea in exchange for continued support for the war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged in April for the first time that North Korean soldiers took part in the fighting to recover Russian territory after Ukraine's incursion into the Kursk region last year. North Korea also confirmed its troop presence there for the first time in April. Though North Korean troops had been deployed to Kursk since at least November, they withdrew from the front lines in January after reports of mass casualties, Ukrainian officials said. Both countries have denied that Pyongyang is supplying arms to Moscow, despite overwhelming evidence. However, as part of a landmark defense pact struck last year, they have both pledged to use all available means to provide immediate military assistance in the event the other is attacked. Putin has warned he would provide arms to Pyongyang if the West continues arming Ukraine. In recent weeks, Ukraine's allies have lifted a ban on Kyiv firing long-range missiles into Russia, after days of Russia bombarding the Ukrainian capital and other regions with massive aerial attacks and as the US grows increasingly frustrated with Putin over the lack of a peace deal.
