North Korea Catcalls Its Russian Ammo‑Supply Rumors
What the U.S. Tells the World
Last week, the White House’s National Security spokesperson, John Kirby, boasted that the U.S. had “credible information” indicating that North Korea has been sneaking artillery shells into Russia’s war machine. These covert operations, according to Kirby, are being smuggled through Middle East and North African middlemen to keep the shipments under the radar.
Pyongyang’s Pop‑Culture‑Style Denial
Within a day, a North Korean defense official slammed the claims as pure “rumour”, declaring that the country has “never had arms dealings” with Russia and has no plans to do so for the future. In an official statement aired by state media, the Korean voice accused the U.S. of “taking advantage of a hostile doctrine” to tarnish the DPRK’s reputation.
Why This matters to Russia and the War in Ukraine
- Deepening ties between Moscow and Pyongyang would widen the rift between Russia and the rest of the world because of its isolation over Ukraine.
- North Korea is one of the few states that even acknowledged the independence of Ukrainian breakaway regions and has openly backed Russia’s annexation moves.
- “North Korea is clearly using the Ukraine conflict to tighten its bonds with Russia,” noted US‑based strategist Victor Cha.
Washington’s Tactics—Interception or Just Watching?
Kirby said that the U.S. will monitor shipments but likely won’t try to intercept them, since the U.S. doubts such moves will have a noticeable impact on the war’s outcome. However, the U.S. does have the tools to track them.
Potential Co‑operation with Other Countries
Cha suggested that U.S. authorities could collaborate with willing nations to hold cargo at customs, making sure that these artillery shells never reach the regiments on the front lines. That would help avoid unneeded military flare‑ups.
Bottom Line: The War‑was‑non‑stop “Ammo-Supplying” Drama
North Korea is sticking to its claim of zero branches in the arms‑deal business with Russia. Meanwhile Washington keeps an eye on the stolen shells, plans to take them in its, but doesn’t see it as life‑or‑death for either side. The war’s stages are still set, but the plot twists keep going!
