The US and ten allied countries in their coalition accused Russia and North Korea Thursday of openly violating UN sanctions by expanding military ties that have helped Moscow ramp up missile attacks on Ukrainian cities. The coalition, their first report since they came together to track North Korean sanctions evasions following Russia’s use of a veto in March 2024 at the UN Security Council against passing a resolution that would have renewed the monitoring panel mandate, issued the joint claim.
The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team US, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, and South Korea reported finding widespread evidence of illicit cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow. North Korea exported artillery, ballistic missiles, and combat vehicles to Russia via sea, air, and rail transports to enhance Russia’s war effort in Ukraine, the report stated. Russia, in turn, sent air defense systems and educated North Korean soldiers stationed in the conflict zone.
The report further indicated Russia’s supplies of refined petroleum to North Korea beyond UN-imposed sanctions and continued banking ties, sustaining Pyongyang’s military endeavors. The group attributed this collaboration to Moscow’s intensified missile strikes aimed at Ukrainian civilian installations in cities such as Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia.
Spanning January 2024 to April 2025, the report outlined deliveries of nine million rounds of ammunition and a minimum of 100 ballistic missiles from North Korea to Russia. Satellite imagery captured North Korean and Russian ports engaged in these transactions as well as weapons found in Ukraine.
The monitoring group committed to maintaining an eye out for attempts to breach sanctions. Russia’s mission at the UN did not respond immediately to a request for comment. China and Russia have consistently opposed new UN sanctions on North Korea, while thwarting international efforts to contain its nuclear and missile ambitions.
