Latest news with #NorthKorea
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
U.N. report cites 'flagrant' violations by Russia and North Korea
July 17 (UPI) -- Russian and North Korean officials violated U.N. resolutions regarding arms, troops and refined petroleum shipments throughout 2024 and beyond, a U.N. report says. Evidence shows North Korea many times shipped arms and material to Russia, which trained North Korean troops for combat against Ukrainian forces, Seth Bailey, the U.S. State Department's director for Korean and Mongolian Affairs, told U.N. members on Thursday. In exchange, Russia shipped refined petroleum products, military equipment and military technology to North Korea, Bailey said. The actions by both nations violate U.N. resolutions, as outlined in a 29-page U.N. report compiled by its Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team and published on May 29. The report focuses on illegal military cooperation between North Korea and Russia and says the "rapid expansion of military, political and economic cooperation' between the two nations has caused "ongoing flagrant violations" of U.N. Security Council resolutions. "Throughout 2024, North Korea and Russia engaged in myriad unlawful activities explicitly prohibited" by the United Nations, the report says. The violations include the transfer of arms and material, including artillery, ballistic missiles and combat vehicles, from North Korea to Russia via sea, air and rail. North Korea also sent troops to Russia, which the Russian military trained for direct support in its war against Ukraine, according to the report. Russia also has shipped refined petroleum products to North Korea that "far exceed the yearly United Nations Security Council-mandated cap," with payments processed via banking relations between Russia and North Korea. "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 says. Russia's assistance has enabled North Korea to fund its military programs and continue developing its ballistic missiles program, which is banned by the United Nations. North Korea also "gains first-hand experience in modern warfare in return for its military support to Russia against Ukraine," the report says. Such military support includes the deployment of 11,000 North Korean troops to Russia since October. "The official confirmation of North Korean military support to Russia by both governments in April 2025 suggests that, at least for the foreseeable future, North Korea and Russia intend to continue and further deepen their military cooperation in contravention of relevant UNSCRs," according to the report. Solve the daily Crossword
TechCrunch
9 hours ago
- Business
- TechCrunch
North Korean hackers blamed for record spike in crypto thefts in 2025
Hackers have stolen more than $2 billion in crypto during the first half of 2025, according to new data from crypto analysis firm Chainalysis, marking the worst year-to-date on record for crypto thefts. The blockchain analysis company said Thursday in a new report that the $2.17 billion stolen during the first half of 2025 has already surpassed the amount of crypto lost last year. Not only that, the amount of cryptocurrency stolen during the first six months of 2025 was about 17% higher than the same period in 2022, which was previously the worst year on record for stolen crypto. Much of the stolen crypto this year was attributed to a single breach at crypto exchange ByBit, which saw North Korean hackers steal more than $1.4 billion in crypto, much of it subsequently laundered and funneled into the North Korean regime, per the FBI. Chainalysis said the ByBit hack falls within a broader pattern of North Korean hacks, which have 'become increasingly central to the regime's sanctions evasion strategies.' North Korea, largely cut off from the outside world and the international banking system, has become a formidable threat in recent years by targeting Western companies to steal cryptocurrency with the aim of funding its sanctioned nuclear weapons program. North Korea has also relied on thousands of remote IT workers, who infiltrate tech companies to earn a wage, steal intellectual property, and then extort companies into paying so as not to publish their sensitive files. According to an earlier Chainalysis report, North Korean hackers were blamed for almost two-thirds of all crypto hacks during 2024.
Bloomberg
11 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Crypto Thefts, Hacks Have Already Topped Last Year's Tally
The $1.5 billion hack of the exchange Bybit attributed to North Korea's Lazarus Group has resulted in more funds being swiped from digital platforms already this year than in all of 2024. In total, $2.17 billion was stolen from crypto services and individual wallets through June, according to blockchain intelligence firm Chainalysis.
The Verge
11 hours ago
- Business
- The Verge
Crypto crime in 2025 is topping last year's totals already.
Posted Jul 17, 2025 at 12:00 PM UTC Crypto crime in 2025 is topping last year's totals already. More than $2.17 billion has been stolen from crypto services this year, more than the entirety of 2024, according to a report from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis. Then again, most of that came from a single hack — a $1.46 billion heist of Bybit linked to North Korean hackers, the largest crypto theft in history — and without that, the numbers would look a little rosier. 2025 Crypto Crime Mid-year Update [
Free Malaysia Today
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
New pier completed at N. Korean rocket launch site
North Korea successfully placed its first spy satellite in orbit in 2023. (EPA Images pic) PYONGYANG : Satellite imagery indicates that a new maritime pier has been completed at North Korea's key rocket station, where the latest spy satellite launches and other rocket tests have been conducted, satellite operator ICEYE said. The pier at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station seen via the imagery 'enables transport of larger rocket components than previously possible via rail', ICEYE said in findings provided to Reuters. Larger components would allow the site to host rockets that can travel longer distances. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in 2022 inspected the Sohae facility and ordered it to be modernised and expanded to ensure that various rockets, including those capable of carrying military spy satellites, could be launched, state media said. The facility has been used to put a satellite in orbit and also to test various missile components including rocket engines and space launch vehicles that South Korean and US officials say require similar technology to that used in intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM). An image from July 9 also shows the pier with a newly constructed jetty and vessels indicating potential operational status, according to ICEYE, a sign that could help enhance Sohae's logistical capabilities. ICEYE added that it took about 28 months from initial reports to develop and complete the pier. Work to expand the road and rail infrastructure throughout the facility continues, according to 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea monitoring programme. Satellite images, taken from December to July by the commercial satellite firm Planet Labs, also show what appears to be a pier under construction on the shore. Pyongyang's latest attempt to launch a military spy satellite at the Sohae site failed in May 2024 but Kim has vowed to never give up the space reconnaissance project that he views as crucial for national self defence against enemy threats. North Korea successfully placed its first spy satellite in orbit in November 2023. As part of growing military ties with Moscow, North Korea is likely getting help from Russia on its satellite programme in exchange for sending troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine, South Korean officials have said. North Korea says its military activities, including nuclear weapons, are its sovereign right and only for self-defence. It accused the US and its allies of threatening it with 'hostile policies' such as military drills and sanctions.
