By SOFREP,
North Korea has ramped up its support for Russia in the Ukraine war, sending artillery systems and deploying thousands of its troops.
South Korea’s spy agency revealed Wednesday that North Korea provided 170mm self-propelled guns and 240mm multiple rocket launch systems, with some troops now fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine’s Kursk region
This comes amid growing military ties between Moscow and Pyongyang as both face tensions with the US and its allies.
Reports suggest North Korean personnel are helping Russian troops operate the new weapons, and their involvement threatens to escalate the conflict.
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North Korea has sent at least 50 self-propelled artillery systems (SPGs) and 20 modernized multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) to Russia.
It is expected that Russia will use this weaponry in battles in the Kursk region, where the occupiers have also concentrated a… pic.twitter.com/bcf4qL6pPH
— KyivPost (@KyivPost) November 16, 2024
Meanwhile, as previously reported, Ukraine has already used US-supplied long-range missiles in strikes on Russian territory, further intensifying the war.
North Korea’s ICBMs Show Range but Lack Proven Nuclear Strike Ability
Despite years of missile testing, North Korea has yet to prove it can successfully deliver a nuclear warhead to the US mainland, according to Admiral Samuel Paparo, head of US Indo-Pacific Command.
Speaking at the Brookings Institution on Tuesday, Paparo acknowledged North Korea’s progress, particularly with its recent Hwasong-19 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test, which demonstrates the potential to reach the entire US mainland.
However, there’s no evidence that Pyongyang can yet combine a nuclear warhead with an ICBM capable of surviving the rigors of launch and reentry.
Under Kim Jong Un, North Korea continues advancing its missile and nuclear programs, positioning itself as a key ally to Russia in its war against Ukraine while escalating tensions with the US, South Korea, and Japan.
Kim has criticized the US-Japan-South Korea alliance, calling it an “Asian version of NATO,” and vowed to enhance North Korea’s nuclear arsenal to counter perceived threats.
While the full capability to strike the US remains unproven, North Korea’s growing arsenal still poses significant threats to American interests, including its ability to target South Korea, where 30,000 US troops are stationed, and to launch missiles over Japan.
