Latest news with #Russian-flagged
Euronews
2 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Russia and North Korea violate UN sanctions in Ukraine, report says
Western allies have accused Russia and North Korea of flagrantly breaching UN sanctions through close military cooperation that has enabled Moscow to intensify its missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, as its all-out war continues into its fourth year. The joint condemnation was part of the first report issued by the newly formed Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, which has been tasked with tracking Pyongyang's sanctions violations since last year. The 29-page document, compiled by the US, the UK, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Australia, Italy, the Netherlands and New Zealand, asserts that Pyongyang and Moscow have carried out many 'unlawful activities' prohibited by existing UN resolutions. North Korea has supplied Russia with weapons and military equipment, including ballistic missiles, artillery shells and armoured vehicles for use in Moscow's war against Ukraine, according to the report. Citing intelligence from an unnamed country, the monitoring team said that as many as nine million artillery and rocket rounds were delivered from North Korea to Russia last year in Russian-flagged cargo ships. It also confirmed the transfer of at least 100 ballistic missiles, which were launched into Ukraine 'to destroy civilian infrastructure and terrorise populated areas such as Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia". Photographic evidence in the report shows ammunition containers, artillery systems and anti-tank weapons believed to have been manufactured in North Korea and recovered in Ukraine. Pyongyang's support has 'contributed to Moscow's ability to increase its missile attacks against Ukrainian cities including targeted strikes against critical civilian infrastructure", the coalition said. The report further states that more than 11,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia since October 2024, gaining battlefield experience while supporting Russia's war effort. In return for such help, Russia is said to have transferred air defence systems to North Korea, trained its troops and provided petroleum products far beyond the UN-mandated cap. The monitoring team, which urged Pyongyang to 'engage in meaningful diplomacy", warned that both countries appear intent on deepening their military alliance. UN sanctions against North Korea began in 2006 following its first nuclear test, and were expanded through a series of resolutions aimed at restricting funding for its weapons programmes. The last such resolution was adopted in 2017. Since then, Russia and China have blocked further action, including a 2022 US-led push to impose new sanctions in response to North Korea's missile launches. The so-called Islamic State (IS) group has claimed responsibility for two attacks in southern Syria, including one on government forces that a war monitor described as the first on the Syrian army since the fall of long-time president Bashar al-Assad. The so-called IS group said in a statement that in one attack, a bomb targeting a "vehicle of the apostate regime" detonated, leaving seven soldiers dead or wounded. It said the attack occurred "last Thursday," in the al-Safa area in the southern province of Sweida. In a separate statement, the group said another bomb attack occurred this week, targeting members of the US-backed Free Syrian Army. It claimed that one fighter was killed and three others wounded in that attack. Syria's interim government hasn't commented on either of these claims and a spokesperson for the Free Syrian Army didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the attack on government forces killed one civilian and wounded three soldiers, describing it as the first such attack to be claimed by the IS group against Syrian forces since the 54-year rule by the al-Assad family ended in December. The extremist group, which once controlled large parts of Syria and Iraq, is opposed to the new authority in Damascus led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was once the head of al-Qaeda's Syria branch, which fought battles against it. Over the past several months, the IS group has claimed responsibility for attacks against the US-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the northeast. The IS group was defeated in Syria in March 2019 when SDF fighters captured the last sliver of land that the extremists controlled. Since then, its sleeper cells have carried out deadly attacks, mainly in eastern and northeast Syria. In January, state media reported that intelligence officials in Syria's post-al-Assad government thwarted a plan by the group to set off a bomb at a Shiite Muslim shrine south of Damascus. Al-Sharra met with US President Donald Trump in Saudi Arabia earlier this month, when the American leader said that Washington would work on lifting crippling economic sanctions imposed on Damascus since the days of al-Assad. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement after the meeting that Trump urged al-Sharaa to diplomatically recognise Israel, "tell all foreign terrorists to leave Syria" and help the US stop any resurgence of the IS group. Parallel to this, earlier this week the European Union lifted most sanctions on Syria but slapped new ones on people and groups it says participated in attacks on civilians during a wave of violence in the coastal region in March. The EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas had announced plans to lift the sanctions last week, but warned the move was "conditional" and that sanctions could be resumed if the new government doesn't keep the peace.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
North Korean aid helping Russia increase attacks on Ukraine, report says
SEOUL, May 30 (UPI) -- Military cooperation between North Korea and Russia has enabled Moscow to increase its missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, the United States, South Korea and nine other allies said in a new report. The report, released Thursday, was the first produced by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, a group formed in October after Russia vetoed the mandate for a U.N. panel to continue its work overseeing North Korean sanctions violations. The MSMT collected evidence that North Korea and Russia "engaged in myriad of unlawful activities" in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, according to the 29-page report. These violations include transfers of artillery, missiles and combat vehicles from North Korea to Russia for its war against Ukraine. In return, North Korea has received air defense systems and technical weapons expertise from Russia. The MSMT also found that Moscow has supplied shipments of refined petroleum products far in excess of a yearly cap under U.N. sanctions and maintained banking relations with Pyongyang. These forms of unlawful cooperation have "contributed to Moscow's ability to increase its missile attacks against Ukrainian cities including targeted strikes against critical civilian infrastructure," the report said. The military relationship "also provided the resources to allow North Korea to fund its military programs and further develop its ballistic missiles programs ... and gain first-hand experience in modern warfare." North Korea sent over 11,000 troops to Russia in 2024, and another 3,000 in the early months of this year, the report said, citing MSMT member states. North Korea acknowledged sending the troops for the first time last month, claiming they helped recapture lost territory in Kursk Province from Ukrainian forces. The MSMT includes the United States, Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand and South Korea. The team was established after Russia used its U.N. Security Council veto in March 2024 to end the mandate of the Panel of Experts, which had overseen North Korean sanctions monitoring since 2009. The Panel of Expert's final report cited numerous sanctions violations by North Korea, including an estimated $3 billion generated from cyberattacks used to fund the regime's illicit weapons program. Thursday's MSMT report covers the period between January 1, 2024 and April 30, 2025. It concludes that North Korea and Russia intend to continue their military cooperation "at least for the foreseeable future." Citing an unnamed MSMT participating state, the report claims that North Korea shipped as many as 9 million rounds of mixed artillery and multiple rocket launcher ammunition to Russia in 2024 aboard Russian-flagged cargo vessels. The North also sent Russia at least 100 ballistic missiles, the report said, which were "subsequently launched into Ukraine to destroy civilian infrastructure and terrorize populated areas such as Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia." In return, Russia has transferred air defense systems, including at least one Pantsir-class mobile combat vehicle, according to unnamed participating MSMT countries. Moscow has also provided data feedback on Pyongyang's ballistic missiles, leading to improvements in missile guidance performance. Under U.N. Security Council sanctions, North Korea can procure no more than 500,000 barrels of refined petroleum per year. The MSMT report estimates, however, that Russia supplied more than a million barrels of oil to North Korea between March and October 2024. About 8,000 North Koreans have been sent to Russia to work in IT, construction and other sectors, the report added, while the two countries are actively conducting financial transactions through ruble-denominated bank accounts. Both are violations of U.N. sanctions. In a joint statement, the 11 MSMT member states urged North Korea to "engage in meaningful diplomacy." "We will continue our efforts to monitor the implementation of U.N. [Security Council Resolutions] on the DPRK and raise awareness of ongoing attempts to violate and evade U.N. sanctions," the statement said, using the official acronym for North Korea. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
North Korean aid helping Russia increase attacks on Ukraine, report says
SEOUL, May 30 (UPI) -- Military cooperation between North Korea and Russia has enabled Moscow to increase its missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, the United States, South Korea and nine other allies said in a new report. The report, released Thursday, was the first produced by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, a group formed in October after Russia vetoed the mandate for a U.N. panel to continue its work overseeing North Korean sanctions violations. The MSMT collected evidence that North Korea and Russia "engaged in myriad of unlawful activities" in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, according to the 29-page report. These violations include transfers of artillery, missiles and combat vehicles from North Korea to Russia for its war against Ukraine. In return, North Korea has received air defense systems and technical weapons expertise from Russia. The MSMT also found that Moscow has supplied shipments of refined petroleum products far in excess of a yearly cap under U.N. sanctions and maintained banking relations with Pyongyang. These forms of unlawful cooperation have "contributed to Moscow's ability to increase its missile attacks against Ukrainian cities including targeted strikes against critical civilian infrastructure," the report said. The military relationship "also provided the resources to allow North Korea to fund its military programs and further develop its ballistic missiles programs ... and gain first-hand experience in modern warfare." North Korea sent over 11,000 troops to Russia in 2024, and another 3,000 in the early months of this year, the report said, citing MSMT member states. North Korea acknowledged sending the troops for the first time last month, claiming they helped recapture lost territory in Kursk Province from Ukrainian forces. The MSMT includes the United States, Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand and South Korea. The team was established after Russia used its U.N. Security Council veto in March 2024 to end the mandate of the Panel of Experts, which had overseen North Korean sanctions monitoring since 2009. The Panel of Expert's final report cited numerous sanctions violations by North Korea, including an estimated $3 billion generated from cyberattacks used to fund the regime's illicit weapons program. Thursday's MSMT report covers the period between January 1, 2024 and April 30, 2025. It concludes that North Korea and Russia intend to continue their military cooperation "at least for the foreseeable future." Citing an unnamed MSMT participating state, the report claims that North Korea shipped as many as 9 million rounds of mixed artillery and multiple rocket launcher ammunition to Russia in 2024 aboard Russian-flagged cargo vessels. The North also sent Russia at least 100 ballistic missiles, the report said, which were "subsequently launched into Ukraine to destroy civilian infrastructure and terrorize populated areas such as Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia." In return, Russia has transferred air defense systems, including at least one Pantsir-class mobile combat vehicle, according to unnamed participating MSMT countries. Moscow has also provided data feedback on Pyongyang's ballistic missiles, leading to improvements in missile guidance performance. Under U.N. Security Council sanctions, North Korea can procure no more than 500,000 barrels of refined petroleum per year. The MSMT report estimates, however, that Russia supplied more than a million barrels of oil to North Korea between March and October 2024. About 8,000 North Koreans have been sent to Russia to work in IT, construction and other sectors, the report added, while the two countries are actively conducting financial transactions through ruble-denominated bank accounts. Both are violations of U.N. sanctions. In a joint statement, the 11 MSMT member states urged North Korea to "engage in meaningful diplomacy." "We will continue our efforts to monitor the implementation of U.N. [Security Council Resolutions] on the DPRK and raise awareness of ongoing attempts to violate and evade U.N. sanctions," the statement said, using the official acronym for North Korea.
2 days ago
- Politics
US and allies accuse North Korea and Russia of flagrantly violating UN sanctions in military deals
UNITED NATIONS -- The United States and 10 allies on Thursday said the military cooperation between Russia and North Korea flagrantly violates U.N. sanctions and has helped Moscow increase its missile strikes on Ukrainian cities. 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 U.N. 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 U.S., 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 U.N. 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 defense 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 U.N. 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 also has provided resources for North Korea to fund its military and banned ballistic missile programs., and it 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 Jan. 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 terrorize 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 it said were found in Ukraine. The team said in a joint statement that it will continue to monitor implementation of U.N. resolutions 'and raise awareness of ongoing attempts to violate and evade U.N. 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 programs. The last sanctions resolution was adopted by the council in December 2017. China and Russia vetoed a U.S.-sponsored resolution in May 2022 that would have imposed new sanctions over a spate of intercontinental ballistic missile launches, and have blocked all other U.N. action against North Korea.
Powys County Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Powys County Times
US and allies accuse North Korea and Russia of violating UN sanctions
The United States and 10 allies on Thursday said the military cooperation between Russia and North Korea flagrantly violates UN sanctions and has helped Moscow increase its missile strikes on Ukrainian cities. 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.
