North Korea sent 7,000 weapons containers to Russia, Seoul says | War in Ukraine

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The North Korean military conducts a “strike exercise” for multiple launchers and tactical guided weapons in the East Sea during a military exercise in North Korea.

Agence France-Presse

North Korea has shipped some 7,000 containers of weapons to Russia for its war against Ukraine since July, South Korea's defense minister said Monday.

Historic allies Russia and North Korea are both subject to global sanctions, Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine and Pyongyang for its nuclear weapons testing.

Their leaders, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un, held a summit in the Russian Far East in September, following which the United States claimed that Pyongyang had started supplying weapons to Moscow.

The number of containers coming from North [Korea] to Russia increased by 300 to about 7,000 containers in total so far, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-Korea said. sik during a press briefing on Monday, his ministry told AFP.

This figure refers to material sent since July and Mr Shin said that with some sea routes now suspended, some was sent by rail to Russia.

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The United States said last October that weapons deliveries from Pyongyang to Moscow were underway, estimating that North Korea had delivered more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia at the time.

The following month, Seoul accused Pyongyang of having sent more than a million artillery shells to Russia, with North Korea appearing in return to receive technical advice from Moscow on its plan to launch a military reconnaissance satellite.

During his visit to Russia in September, Kim said bilateral ties with Moscow were his country's top priority and Pyongyang became a staunch defender of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

According to Washington and experts, Pyongyang seeks to obtain military support in return, particularly in satellite technology and the modernization of its military equipment which dates of the Soviet era.

North Korean state media said on Monday that Mr. Kim had sent a message congratulating the Russian President Vladimir Putin for his re-election with a record score of 87.29% of the vote, forged in the repression of the opposition.

I will firmly join hands with yours and bring the friendship between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Russia into a new era, the message said.