Vladimir Putin: When asked about the US and Ukrainian accusations during a call, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov replied, “No comment.” On Tuesday, the Kremlin declined to comment on US and Ukrainian claims that Moscow fired North Korean missiles at Ukrainian targets, but it also accused Kyiv of using Western-made missiles to attack Russian targets. The White House said last week that Russia used short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) sourced from North Korea to conduct multiple strikes against Ukraine, citing newly declassified intelligence. A senior Ukrainian official later corroborated the claim.
Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, both Moscow and Pyongyang have grown closer, despite their denials of having any arms deals. In September of last year, President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met in the Far East of Russia, and senior Russian officials have since visited Pyongyang multiple times. When asked about the allegations made by the United States and Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov responded, “No comment,” to a call with reporters.
Peskov said that Ukraine had been using missiles made by “Germany, France, Italy, the United States, and other countries” to strike civilian targets inside Russia on multiple occasions. Ukraine struck the Russian border city of Belgorod on December 30, killing more than 20 people, including two children, and injuring 111, according to Russian media. The Belgorod region, which borders northern Ukraine, has experienced shelling and drone attacks this year, which authorities have blamed on Ukraine, though none have been on such a large scale before.
Moscow, which sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on February 24, 2022, with the stated goal of “demilitarising” and “denazifying” the country, has blamed Western nations, including the United States, for the consequences of supplying weapons to Kyiv.
Ratnavali