White House accuses North Korea of shipping arms to Russia

North Korea is covertly supplying Russia with weapons to be used in its war with Ukraine, the White House said Wednesday.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters that the U.S. believes Pyongyang has supplied the Kremlin with “a significant number of artillery shells while obfuscating the real destination of the arms shipments by trying to make it appear as though they’re being sent to countries in the Middle East or North Africa.”

He said the U.S. will continue to monitor “whether the shipments are received.”

“Amid supply shortages and the efficacy of international sanctions, Russia has to continue to look to actors like [North Korea] and Iran to sustain its aggressive and provocative its aggressive war in Ukraine,” Mr. Kirby said.

He said the shipments are “not going to change the course of the war,” adding that the U.S. remains committed to providing Ukraine with “the critical security systems that it needs to defend itself.”

The White House revealed in August that the Russian military was buying Iranian drones that have since been used in Russian attacks against civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.

Last month, the administration said Iran had sent personnel to Russian-controlled Crimea to train Russian military personnel on flying the drones.

Iranian officials have denied accusations that they are supporting the Russian invasion.