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“Asia Alert! Russia Unleashes North Korean Missiles in Ukraine, US Warns

Recent events in Ukraine have highlighted a worrying fact – Russia is using North Korean missiles in the region. According to the United States, this is bad news for Asia and for global security. Since the start of the Ukraine conflict in 2014, there has been an increase in armed provocations from Russia, particularly in the Crimean peninsula. In July 2020 the United States accused Russia of using North Korean-made ballistic missiles in Ukraine. This has raised serious concerns in the international community as it shows an alarming level of collaboration between the two countries. The North Korean missile technology being used in Ukraine is the KN-11 and KN-19, both of which are short range ballistic missiles (SRBM). These weapons are capable of carrying both nuclear or conventional warheads and have a range of 600-700 km which puts most parts of Europe within their potential reach. The type of weaponry being used is concerning as it could provide North Korea with the capability to launch a nuclear attack against any of its neighbors. The United States believes that this potential collaboration between Russia and North Korea is a cause for concern. This is because it could lead to North Korea being able to build and deploy an increasingly powerful arsenal of nuclear missiles, which could lead to an arms race in the region and put global security at risk. The United States has been particularly adamant that it will not tolerate the proliferation of North Korean weapons. It also argues that any sort of weapons cooperation with North Korea could be used as leverage by the regime. To that end, the US has imposed multiple sanctions and restrictions against both Russia and North Korea to try and end the cooperation and limit the two countries’ access to military technology. This situation in Ukraine shows just how vital it is to limit the spread of North Korean weapons technology, as it could have consequences beyond just the region. It is increasingly important for the international community to ensure that North Korea is not able to access the weapons it needs to further strengthen its arsenal. If we are to protect global security, then this issue must be addressed as soon as possible.