Russian forces have fired North Korean-made ballistic missiles into Ukraine for the first time, according to a White House spokesman.
Pyongyang provided Russia with ballistic missile launchers and several missiles, and Moscow appeared to have twice test-fired the missiles into Ukrainian territory.
The first launch occurred on Saturday and landed in an open field in the Zaporizhzhia region, while the second took place on Tuesday.
The White House expects Russia and North Korea to learn from these launches and use additional missiles to target Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and kill innocent Ukrainian civilians.
The missiles have a range of about 900 kilometers and are seen as a significant escalation in North Korea’s support for Russia.
North Korea is seeking military assistance from Russia in exchange for its support, according to US officials.
The US plans to unveil new sanctions against those responsible for the transfer of North Korean weapons and raise the “illegal” provision of the weapons in a U.N. Security Council session.
The US has warned of the growing ties between Moscow and Pyongyang, both of whom have been receiving heavy-hitting and isolating U.S.-led sanctions.
In September, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Russia, and South Korea’s spy agency claimed North Korea had shipped over a million artillery shells to Russia.
In November, a Russian soldier debunked denials from Moscow and Pyongyang of such transfers. The US claims the arms transfers violate multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions against dealings with the Pyongyang regime.
