North Korea appears to be secretly supplying Russia with a ‘significant’ number of artillery shells for its war on Ukraine, according to the US.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has tried to hide the artillery shipments to Ukraine by funneling them through nations in the Middle East and North Africa, White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday.

‘Our indications are that the DPRK is covertly supplying and we are going to monitor to see whether the shipments are received,’ said Kirby.

‘We do have a sense on where they are going to transfer these shells.’

The number of shells is not likely to change the direction or outcome of the war but could still kill many Ukrainians, said Kirby. He added that ‘it’s certainly not going to change our calculus’.

‘We’re going to continue to provide the Ukrainians,’ Kirby said.

The Biden administration will confer with the United Nations about holding North Korea accountable for the shipments, according to Kirby.

North Korea’s shipments show its support to Russia and are a sign that US-led sanctions have taken a hit on Moscow’s munitions supply, Kirby said.

In September, North Korea denied sending weapons and ammunition to Russia and claimed it did not plan to. Pyongyang told the US to ‘keep its mouth shut’ and that it was spreading rumors to make North Korea look bad.

Earlier on Wednesday, North Korea launched at least 23 missiles into the sea. One of them landed less than 40 miles off the coast of South Korea, whose president Yoon Suk-yeol denounced the ‘territorial encroachment’. South Korea launched its missiles in response.

North Korea’s missile launches were not an immediate danger to American personnel in the area and the US will ensure it is equipped to defend its allies, Kirby said.

A ballistic missile had not landed near South Korea’s waters since the peninsula separated in 1945, and it was the highest number of missiles that North Korea has set off in one day.

On Tuesday, North Korea said it would use nuclear weapons that would cause the US and South Korea to ‘pay the most horrible price in history’.

If the US and South Korea make plans to attack North Korea, ‘the special means of the armed forces will carry out their strategic mission without delay’, warned senior North Korean official Pak Jong Chon.

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