North Korea denies supplying weapons to Russia

Leader Kim Jong-un (center) chairs a meeting of the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang on November 30. Photo: Yonhap/ VNA

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on December 23 quoted the country's Foreign Ministry as calling the accusation that North Korea supplied ammunition to Russia "groundless".

Earlier, Japanese media reported that North Korea shipped ammunition, including artillery shells, to Russia by train last month. The White House on December 22 accused North Korea of ​​completing the initial transfer of weapons to a Russian private military company.

KCNA quoted a Foreign Ministry spokesman as emphasizing: "The Japanese media's false report that the DPRK supplied ammunition to Russia is a ridiculous distraction, not worth commenting or explaining."

“North Korea has not changed its principled stance on the issue of ‘arms trading’ with Russia, which has never happened,” a spokesman for the North Korean Foreign Ministry said, adding that the US was “bringing bloodshed and destruction to Ukraine by supplying lethal weapons to the country.”

Reuters (UK) news agency reported that the White House accused the Russian private military company Wagner, of receiving weapons and missiles from North Korea to help strengthen Russia's power in Ukraine. Wagner's owner - Mr. Yevgeny Prigozhin denied the accusation and affirmed that this was "rumor and speculation".

In another development, the North Korean Foreign Ministry also criticized the US's efforts to issue a statement from the President of the United Nations Security Council on the country's latest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch.

Despite international sanctions, North Korea has tested an unprecedented number of missiles this year, including an intercontinental ballistic missile designed to reach the US mainland.

North Korea has repeatedly said the missile launches are in response to military exercises conducted by the US, South Korea and Japan.