North Korea rejected NATO's criticism of its cooperation with Russia and threatened the alliance with "tragic consequences," the country's Foreign Ministry said on Oct. 6.
NATO accused North Korea and Iran of "fueling" the war against Ukraine by giving missiles, shells, and drones to Russia in a statement issued last week.
"NATO in its recent statement let loose a string of extremely unreasonable remarks that it condemns… the independent cooperative relations between sovereign states including the DPRK," the statement read.
DPRK is North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
"If NATO continues to try hard to infringe upon the dignity, sovereignty, security, and interests of the DPRK… NATO blindly following the U.S. will be held wholly responsible for the tragic consequences to be entailed by it," it added.
North Korea began supplying Russia with artillery shells, possibly as early as mid-2022, to help it sustain its offensive in Ukraine. Moscow's military strategy requires large quantities of artillery shells fired to destroy the opponent's positions or prepare ground assaults.
More extensive ammunition supplies were confirmed by U.S. and South Korean intelligence in October 2023 following a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The shipments of artillery shells were followed by ballistic missiles, both of which have been deployed against Ukraine.
Despite ramping up its domestic production, Russia still lacks the capacity to sustain these barrages alone. North Korean deliveries are helping to bridge the period until their factories gear up.
Half of all the artillery shells used by Russia in Ukraine are supplied by North Korea, The Times reported on Oct. 4, citing Western intelligence sources.
The two countries also signed a mutual defense pact during Putin's visit to Pyongyang earlier this year.
Kateryna Denisova
