Ukraine Accuses North Korea of Aiding Russia in Civilian Attacks, Calls for Stricter Sanctions
A senior aide to the Ukrainian president has accused North Korea of assisting Russia in its military efforts against Ukraine, urging the international community to intensify sanctions on both nations.
The statement follows a high-profile meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, where the two leaders formalized a comprehensive strategic partnership.
“There is no doubt that North Korea is actively cooperating with Russia in the military sphere today and deliberately provides resources for the mass murder of Ukrainians,” Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior aide to President Volodymyr Zelensky, told AFP on Wednesday.
The United States and its allies have long accused North Korea of supplying ammunition and missiles to support Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine.
Ukrainian forces have reportedly found fragments of North Korean munitions on the battlefield, corroborating these claims.
Podolyak emphasized the detrimental impact of these supplies, noting that deliveries of North Korean artillery shells to Russia have enabled Russian forces to maintain a high intensity of attacks. “This has an impact on the course of events in the war as a whole and significantly increases the number of civilian casualties,” he said.
The aide also criticized the effectiveness of current international sanctions on Russia and North Korea, describing them as inadequate. “It is obvious that the restrictive measures imposed on Russia and North Korea are not enough. We need a more rigorous approach to real isolation,” Podolyak stated.
The remarks came as Putin, during a state visit to Pyongyang, called for a review of sanctions on North Korea, framing the partnership as a united front against “US hegemony.”
