The United States has imposed sanctions against a Slovak citizen who coordinated the supply of weapons from the DPRK to Russia

The US Treasury Departmentʼs Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed sanctions against Slovakian citizen Ashot Mkrtychev, who facilitated shipments from North Korea to Russia.

According to OFAC, between late 2022 and early 2023, Mkrtychev worked with North Korean officials to obtain more than two dozen types of weapons and ammunition for Russia in exchange for a commercial aircraft, raw materials and other goods.

Mkrtychevʼs negotiations show that Russia has already prepared for the proposed agreement. He also passed information from Russian officials to North Korean officials and sought out a commercial plane that could be sent to North Korea.

• On September 5, 2022, The New York Times, citing declassified US intelligence, reported that Russia is buying artillery shells and short-range missiles from North Korea. Later, the White House also announced that it had information about Russiaʼs plans to purchase millions of ammunition for artillery and short-range missiles from North Korea.
• At the beginning of November 2022, the USA officially accused the DPRK of secretly supplying Russia with artillery shells. Later, the satellite recorded a train on the route to the Russian Federation, which had not functioned for several years.
• At the end of December 2022, the Reuters agency wrote that the Russian "PMC Wagner" received a shipment of weapons from North Korea.