The United States says Russia has turned to countries like North Korea to replenish arms supplies depleted in its war with Ukraine.
The United States has announced sanctions against a Slovakian man who was allegedly working to organize an arms sale between North Korea and Russia, as the war in Ukraine puts pressure on Moscow’s access to military assets.
The US Treasury Department said Thursday it was imposing sanctions on Ashot Mkrtychev as part of its effort to limit Russia’s ability to replace military equipment lost on the battlefield.
“Russia has lost more than 9,000 pieces of heavy military equipment since the start of the war, and thanks in part to multilateral sanctions and export controls, Putin is increasingly desperate to replace it,” Treasury Secretary Janet said. Yellen, in a statement. Press release.
“Schemes like the arms deal pursued by this individual show that Putin is turning to suppliers of last resort like Iran and the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea).”
Shortly after the sanctions were announced, the White House expressed concern that “North Korea will provide further support for Russia’s military operations against Ukraine.”
“We have new information that Russia is actively seeking to acquire additional munitions from North Korea,” national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters. Such an agreement would violate United Nations Security Council resolutions, he added.
As the costly Russian invasion of Ukraine drags on, the US has continued its efforts to isolate Russia economically and diplomatically. However, Russia has benefited from ongoing relationships with countries around the world who see it as an important ally and business partner.
Yellen said the United States would continue to crack down on Russia’s efforts to “evade sanctions and obtain military equipment” from countries like North Korea.
The press release claims that Mkrtychev is a Slovakian citizen who negotiated with officials in Russia and North Korea to forge a relationship of “mutually beneficial cooperation.”
From 2022 to early 2023, Treasury says Mkrtychev arranged for North Korean officials to provide “more than two dozen types of weapons and ammunition for Russia.” In return, he worked to get commercial aircraft, raw materials, and basic products shipped to North Korea.
North Korea is itself under strong US power. sanctions, which may affect your ability to access various assets. The press release states that Mkrtychev’s negotiations were confirmed with senior Russian officials, indicating that “preparations for a proposed deal were complete.”
Thursday’s sanctions freeze any assets in the US held by the designee and generally prevent people in the US from doing business with them.
