North Korea and Russia are deepening their military cooperation, as Pyongyang ramps up the supply of arms to Moscow for the war in Ukraine and receives much needed cash and oil from the Kremlin in return.

North Korea demonstrated this year that it could produce ballistic missiles and supply them to Russia for use against Ukraine in a matter of months, the head of a research organization that traces weapons used in the war said Wednesday.

The United States voiced alarm at the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday that Russia was close to accepting a nuclear-armed North Korea, as Moscow and Pyongyang defended their growing cooperation.

South Korea has imposed sanctions on 11 individuals and 15 organisations involved in military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, the financing of North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes and Pyongyang's illegal procurement of sanctioned goods.

South Korea imposed sanctions on 11 individuals and 15 entities "engaged in illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea," the South Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Dec.

By bno - Taipei Office North Korea’s involvement in supplying ballistic missiles to Russia for use against Ukraine has become a matter of serious international concern, as fresh evidence suggests that the regime is capable of producing and transferring missiles within a matter of months.

North Korea continues to support the Russian Federation. According to the Ukrainian portal Defense Express, a transportation of M-1989 "Koksan" self-propelled artillery pieces has been spotted in Russia.