North has given Russia ballistic missiles, shells for advanced air defense: senior U.S. commander
![U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo gestures during a press conference at the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio, northern Philippines, on Aug. 29, 2024. [AP/YONHAP]](https://image.koreajoongangdaily.com/12043878.webp?imageId=12043878&width=960&height=640&format=jpg)
North Korea has provided Russia with hundreds of short-range ballistic missiles and hundreds of thousands of artillery shells in exchange for advanced air defense systems, including surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), according to Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
The Ukrainian daily Kyiv Post reported on Monday that Admiral Paparo shared this new intelligence during a U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on April 10.
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Paparo said North Korea has faced no obstacles in supplying weapons and ammunition to Russia in support of its war effort in Ukraine.
While the specific type of air defense systems provided by Russia has not been confirmed, Paparo explained that even if the systems are of a second-tier grade — one level below the most advanced — they would still significantly enhance North Korea’s air defense capabilities.
Paparo described the North Korea-Russia alliance as a “transactional symbiosis where each state fulfills the other state’s weakness to the mutual benefit of each state.”
He added that the growing military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow threatens not only Ukraine but also regional stability, including the security of the United States, South Korea and Japan.
![Incoming commander Gen. Xavier Brunson, center left, receives the United States Forces Korea flag from U.S. Navy Adm. Samuel John Paparo, commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, during a change-of-command ceremony for the United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and the United States Forces Korea at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek on Dec. 20, 2024. [AP/YONHAP]](https://image.koreajoongangdaily.com/12044252.webp?imageId=12044252&width=960&height=682&format=jpg)
In recent months, there have been repeated signs of North Korean weapons systems being transported to Russia by rail, including the KN-15 medium-range ballistic missile, the KN-23 short-range ballistic missile, the M-178 and M-1989 170 mm self-propelled artillery and large quantities of shells.
“This is more than just an arms deal,” said an anonymous U.S. Department of Defense official, quoted in Czech military magazine Defense and Security. “It is a strategic alignment between two authoritarian regimes that are pushing back against a Western-led order. We are seeing a dangerous convergence of interests.”
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JUNG SI-NAE [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]
