Russia is looking to buy “millions” of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea, the U.S. has said, in what Washington described as the latest sign of Moscow’s “desperation” as its bloody war in Ukraine grinds on.
The White House, Pentagon and State Department on Tuesday all confirmed an earlier report that Moscow was seeking to finalize a deal with Pyongyang for the arms. Any such agreement would violate United Nations sanctions on North Korea over its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile program.
U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told a news conference that Russia “is in the process of purchasing millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea for use on the battlefield in Ukraine.”