White House National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby addresses the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, US October 26, 2022. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
WASHINGTON 鈥� The United States has information that indicates North Korea is covertly supplying Russia with a 鈥渟ignificant鈥� number of artillery shells for its war in Ukraine, White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby said on Wednesday.
Kirby told a virtual briefing that North Korea was attempting to obscure the shipments by funneling them through countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
鈥淥ur indications are that the DPRK is covertly supplying and we are going to monitor to see whether the shipments are received,鈥� Kirby said, adding that Washington would consult with the United Nations on accountability issues over the shipments.
鈥淲e do have a sense on where they are going to transfer these shells,鈥� Kirby said, but declined to give any more details as the United States weighs its possible options.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price at a regular news briefing suggested that sanctions were among the options, as in the case of Iran鈥檚 provision of weapons to Russia.
鈥淛ust as we鈥檙e using every tool and will use every tool to counter the Iranian provision of weapons to Russia, we will do the same when it comes to the DPRK鈥檚 provisions of weapons to Russia,鈥� he said.
鈥淭here are existing sanctions on the books. We will look at additional tools and authorities that we may be able to call upon to counter this activity,鈥� he said.
The United States in September imposed sanctions on an Iranian company it accused of coordinating military flights to transport Iranian drones to Russia and three other companies it said were involved in the production of Iranian drones.
Kirby said the amount of shells was not insignificant, but was unlikely to change the momentum or outcome of the war. However, they could still be deadly for Ukrainians, he said.
鈥淎nd it鈥檚 certainly not going to change our calculus 鈥� or with so many of our allies and partners about the kinds of capabilities we鈥檙e going to continue to provide the Ukrainians,鈥� he said.
Kirby said the North Korean shipments were a sign not only of Pyongyang鈥檚 willingness to support Russia but of Moscow鈥檚 munitions shortages brought on by US-led sanctions and export controls.
North Korea in September said it had never supplied weapons or ammunition to Russia and has no plans to do so, while warning the United States to 鈥渒eep its mouth shut鈥� and stop circulating rumors aimed at 鈥渢arnishing鈥� the country鈥檚 image.
Referring to North Korea missile launches on Wednesday, Kirby said they did not pose an immediate threat to US personnel in the region, and added that the United States would make sure it had the capabilities there to defend its allies.
North Korea fired at least 23 missiles into the sea on Wednesday, including one that landed less than 60 km (40 miles) off South Korea鈥檚 coast, which the South鈥檚 President Yoon Suk-yeol described as 鈥渢erritorial encroachment.鈥�
It was the first time a ballistic missile had landed near the South鈥檚 waters since the peninsula was divided in 1945, and the most missiles fired by the North in a single day. South Korea issued rare air raid warnings and launched its own missiles in response.