North Korea secretly supplies ammunition to Russia for war in Ukraine, US says gun case against rapper and Rihanna friend Asap Rocky has been postponed

According to the United States, North Korea has secretly sold a “significant” amount of artillery shells to Russia. US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the shipments were disguised to go to the Middle East and North Africa. “We will continue to check that deliveries are received,” he emphasized.

Political support for Moscow

Given the effectiveness of international sanctions against Russia, leaders in Moscow should turn to states like North Korea and Iran to continue their war of aggression against Ukraine, Kirby said. However, the weapons from North Korea would not affect the course of the war.

After the invasion, largely isolated North Korea pledged its political support for the course of the Moscow leaders. Because of its nuclear weapons program, North Korea itself is subject to international sanctions and practically barred from world trade. Pyongyang had previously denied rumors of an arms deal with Moscow. “We have never exported weapons or ammunition to Russia and we do not intend to export them,” the statement said.

Kirby: “Increasingly concerned” about possible use of nuclear weapons

Kirby said concerns have grown in recent months about the possibility of Russian nuclear weapons being used. “We are monitoring it as closely as possible.” Meanwhile, Russia is back in the grain deal with Ukraine – but reserves the right to withdraw again.

Russia’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday that preventing a military conflict between nuclear powers must be “top priority”. This would have “catastrophic consequences”. Nuclear powers should “give up dangerous efforts” to harm the central interests of other nuclear powers.

Moscow stated that Russia is strictly guided by the principle that a nuclear war “cannot be won and should never be waged”. The Kremlin’s military doctrine is “purely defensive in nature” and allows Moscow to use such weapons only in the event of nuclear aggression or “when the very existence of our state is threatened”.

The New York Times previously reported that senior Russian military officials recently discussed when and how tactical nuclear weapons could be used in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin did not participate in the discussions. Furthermore, according to the newspaper, there are no indications that a decision has been made to use nuclear weapons.

In recent months, Putin has repeatedly pointed to the possibility of Russian use of nuclear weapons. Further fears have recently been fueled by Russian claims that Ukraine plans to use a “dirty bomb”. The West fears that Russia could use this as an excuse to use false-flag nuclear weapons itself.

Used sources:

(dpa, AFP, aj, con)