US accuses North Korea of supplying missiles and rockets to Russia’s Wagner for use in Ukraine

The US has accused North Korea of supplying missiles and rockets to the Russian mercenary group Wagner to be used in the war in Ukraine.

On Thursday, the White House said Wagner was searching for arms suppliers to support its military operations in Ukraine.

“We can confirm that North Korea has completed an initial arms delivery to Wagner, which paid for that equipment,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters, as per Reuters.

“Last month, North Korea delivered infantry rockets and missiles into Russia for use by Wagner.”

Soon after these accusations, Wagner owner Yevgeny Prigozhin denied the assertion as “gossip and speculation”.

North Korea has also denied the reports, as per BBC. Mr Kirby said US intelligence officials determined that North Korea completed an initial arms shipment that included rockets and missiles last month.

“We assess that the amount of material delivered to Wagner will not change battlefield dynamics in Ukraine,” he said. “But we’re certainly concerned that North Korea is planning to deliver more military equipment.”

The White House has expressed alarm about Wagner’s growing involvement in the war as it has been particularly active in the eastern Donbas region.

Mr Kirby added that the US now assesses that Wagner has some 50,000 personnel fighting in Ukraine, including 10,000 contractors and 40,000 convicts that the company has recruited from prisons.

Wagner Group mercenaries have also been accused by Western countries and UN experts of numerous human rights abuses throughout Africa, including in the Central African Republic, Libya and Mali.

Earlier this month, secretary of state Antony Blinken announced he had designated the Wagner Group as an “entity of particular concern” for its activities in the Central African Republic.

Wagner has faced US sanctions since 2017. The Commerce Department on Wednesday unveiled new export restrictions targeting Wagner in a bid to further restrict its access to technology and supplies.

Additional reporting by agencies