Russia and North Korea are violating UN sanctions in Ukraine, Western allies report says

Published connected 30/05/2025 - 16:26 GMT+2•Updated 16:28

Western friends person accused Russia and North Korea of flagrantly breaching UN sanctions done adjacent subject practice that has enabled Moscow to intensify its rocket attacks connected Ukrainian cities, arsenic its all-out warfare continues into its 4th year.

The associated condemnation was portion of nan first study issued by nan recently formed Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, which has been tasked pinch search Pyongyang's sanctions violations since past year.

The 29-page document, compiled by nan US, nan UK, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Australia, Italy, nan Netherlands and New Zealand, asserts that Pyongyang and Moscow person carried retired galore “unlawful activities” prohibited by existing UN resolutions.

North Korea has supplied Russia pinch weapons and subject equipment, including ballistic missiles, artillery shells and armoured vehicles for usage successful Moscow's warfare against Ukraine, according to nan report.  

Citing intelligence from an unnamed country, nan monitoring squad said that arsenic galore arsenic 9 cardinal artillery and rocket rounds were delivered from North Korea to Russia past twelvemonth successful Russian-flagged cargo ships. 

It besides confirmed nan transportation of astatine slightest 100 ballistic missiles, which were launched into Ukraine “to destruct civilian infrastructure and terrorise populated areas specified arsenic Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia".

Photographic grounds successful nan study shows ammunition containers, artillery systems and anti-tank weapons believed to person been manufactured successful North Korea and recovered successful Ukraine.

Pyongyang's support has “contributed to Moscow’s expertise to summation its rocket attacks against Ukrainian cities including targeted strikes against captious civilian infrastructure", nan conjugation said.

The study further states that much than 11,000 North Korean troops person been deployed to Russia since October 2024, gaining battlefield acquisition while supporting Russia’s warfare effort. 

In return for specified help, Russia is said to person transferred aerial defence systems to North Korea, trained its troops and provided petroleum products acold beyond nan UN-mandated cap.

The monitoring team, which urged Pyongyang to “engage successful meaningful diplomacy", warned that some countries look intent connected deepening their subject alliance.

UN sanctions against North Korea began successful 2006 pursuing its first atomic test, and were expanded done a bid of resolutions aimed astatine restricting backing for its weapons programmes. 

The past specified solution was adopted successful 2017. Since then, Russia and China person blocked further action, including a 2022 US-led push to enforce caller sanctions successful consequence to North Korea’s rocket launches.