U.S. Worried North Korea Will Learn of Western Air Defenses

The U.S. is worried that North Korea will learn of Western air defenses following Russian use of Pyongyang's 900-mile range ballistic missiles in Ukraine.

Despite concerns over the perceived low quality of North Korean weaponry, the situation is deemed alarming by U.S. officials. The U.S. is particularly troubled by Russia's active pursuit of additional missile support from Iran, indicating potential vulnerabilities in its war machinery.

John Kirby, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, described Russia's use of North Korean ballistic missiles as a "significant and concerning escalation" in support of its war against Ukraine. He asserted that the U.S. would bring up the matter at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), urging for accountability and imposing additional sanctions on those facilitating arms transfers.

While Moscow denies collaboration with North Korea, U.S. intelligence has now shared specific details about the use of ballistic missiles sourced from North Korea. Kirby revealed that Russia's procurement of such missiles is a direct violation of multiple UNSC resolutions.

The United Kingdom has joined the condemnation, strongly criticizing Russia's use of ballistic missiles from North Korea in Ukraine. The UK emphasized its commitment to ensuring North Korea faces consequences for supporting Russia's "illegal war" in Ukraine.

According to a recently declassified U.S. intelligence assessment, Russia has employed North Korean missiles in recent aerial assaults on Ukrainian targets, underscoring Moscow's increasing dependence on other nations for its military endeavors. Kirby informed reporters today that the U.S. posits Russia utilized these North Korean-provided missiles in at least two incidents on December 30 and January 2.

The U.S. also suspects Russia is in the process of acquiring close-range ballistic missiles from Iran, although there is currently no evidence of Tehran delivering such weaponry. Over the past months, Russia has frequently utilized Iranian-manufactured drones for attacks in Ukraine and is in the process of constructing a factory to produce unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) based on Iranian designs, as per information from the White House.

Russia plans to continue using North Korean ballistic missiles — which can be fired from as far as 550 miles away — in the coming weeks, Kirby said, without detailing how the U.S. obtained the intelligence. Washington’s efforts to isolate Putin after his invasion of Ukraine have pushed the Russian leader closer to North Korea and Iran. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Putin met in September in Russia, talks which the U.S. said were focused on furthering arms deals between their countries. Putin also pledged closer ties with Iran last month after meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Ebrahim Raisi.

Kirby urged swift approval of additional Ukraine funding by the U.S. Congress. He emphasized the need for air defense capabilities and military equipment. Congressional discussions on additional funding have encountered obstacles, as Republicans push for stricter security measures on the U.S.-Mexico border as part of any military aid deal.

“We will not allow countries to aid Russia’s war machine in secret,” Kirby said.

The Biden administration points to Russia seeking equipment from countries like Iran and North Korea to argue that sanctions and Ukraine's efforts have depleted Russian military reserves, justifying the need for more arms shipments from the U.S. As the U.S. seeks global backing at the UNSC, there's keen international scrutiny to observe the situation and assess whether additional sanctions will be imposed on those involved in facilitating arms transfers between North Korea, Russia, and possibly Iran.