The British Defense Ministry said Saturday in its daily intelligence update on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that it is not in Russia’s best interests to block any Ukraine-bound trade on the Black Sea.
Russia’s Black Sea Fleet capabilities remain “largely intact,” the update said, but the possible risk of military losses and “the dire political consequences” of Russia attacking merchant shipping “would highly likely outweigh” any gain from a blockade on Ukrainian bound trade.
The White House on Friday accused North Korea of shipping weapons to Russia, near the Ukraine border. Its claims are based on an image released Friday showing a shipment from an ammunition depot in North Korea, or DPRK, that was loaded onto a Russian-flagged ship before being moved by rail to a depot along Russia’s southwestern border. The delivery took place between Sept. 7 and Oct. 1, the U.S. says.
“We condemn the DPRK for providing Russia with this military equipment, which will be used to attack Ukrainian cities, kill Ukrainian civilian and further Russia’s illegitimate war,” National Security Council Director of Strategic Communications John Kirby said Friday.
Kirby has disclosed that in recent weeks, North Korea has provided Russia with “more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions.”
He said that the U.S. believes Kim Jong Un is seeking sophisticated Russian weapons technologies in return for the munitions — to boost North Korea’s military and nuclear program.
“This expanding military partnership between the DPRK and Russia, including any technology transfers from Russia to the DPRK, undermines regional stability and the global nonproliferation regime,” Kirby warned.
He noted that Washington is in lockstep with allies and partners to counter arms deals between Russia and North Korea by sanctioning individuals and entities working to facilitate such arms deals.
“We will not allow the DPRK to aid Russia’s war machine in secret, and the world should know about the support that Russia may again provide the DPRK in return,” Kirby said.
North Korea on Friday lambasted the arrival of a U.S. aircraft carrier battle group in South Korea, calling it “an undisguised military provocation” and proof that the U.S. plans an attack against it. North Korea threatened to respond in line with its escalatory nuclear doctrine that authorizes the preemptive use of nuclear weapons.
The U.S. has accused North Korea of previously providing ammunition, artillery shells and rockets to Russia. North Korea has previously denied providing weaponry to Moscow.
