North Korea has assisted Russia in escalating its missile strikes on crucial Ukrainian civilian infrastructure by providing thousands of soldiers and artillery shells. In return, Pyongyang received air defense weapons and military equipment and intelligence, evading international sanctions, as officials disclosed on Thursday.

The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, consisting of 11 United Nations members tasked with monitoring sanctions against Pyongyang, discovered that both Russia and North Korea breached UN sanctions to advance their military goals.

Earlier this year, Moscow acquired over 12,000 North Korean troops to aid in reclaiming the Russian region of Kursk from Ukraine. Additionally, the Kremlin received up to nine million rounds of artillery and rocket launcher ammunition from North Korea, according to the MSMT’s initial report.

Even before Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un formally signed a new military alliance last year, Pyongyang had shipped ballistic missiles, self-propelled artillery, long-range multiple rocket launchers to the Kremlin, the MSMT added.

“Pyongyang contributed to Moscow’s ability to increase its missile attacks against Ukrainian cities, including targeted strikes against critical civilian infrastructure,” the report said.

In return for the men and weapons, Russia gifted Kim at least one Pantsir mobile air defense system, a medium-range surface-to-air interceptor and anti-aircraft weapon, officials said.

North Korea also received a Pantsir-class combat vehicle, electronic warfare jamming devices and other military equipment to bolster Kim’s defense systems, according to the report.

MSMT found that Moscow also “supported North Korea’s ballistic missile programs by providing data feedback… leading to improvements in missile guidance performance.”

Along with the military trades, the MSMT found that Pyongyang and Moscow were engaging in financial transactions through North Korea-owned bank accounts in South Ossetia, a city in the nation of Georgia.

Neither North Korea nor Russia have publicly confirmed the exchange of military equipment or technology under their mutual defense pact, which Putin and Kim signed last year.

The MSMT is led by the US, South Korea, and Japan, along with eight other UN members who have been monitoring the sanctions against North Korea since 2024.

The group was formed after Russia dropped out of the previous UN security panel overseeing the sanctions against North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.

With Post wires