The US Treasury Department imposed sanctions against two Russians and three Russian organizations for facilitating the transfer of weapons between the Russian Federation and North Korea.
The press service of the department writes about it.
In particular, Rafael Gazaryan, who since at least April 2023 has acted as a contact person in Ashot Mkrtychevʼs negotiations regarding Russiaʼs receipt of several types of weapons and ammunition from the DPRK, has been subject to restrictions.
Ghazaryanʼs company Rafort and Trans Capital LLC, which he used to ship and deliver aviation components to a North Korean arms dealer, were also sanctioned.
Restrictions were also imposed against Oleksiy Budnev and his company "Technology". Back in March 2023, he facilitated the supply of military communications equipment to Russia, likely originating in the DPRK and intended for the Russian military.
- In January 2023, the United States released evidence that North Korea had been supplying Russia with weapons since at least November 2022. The head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, stated at the beginning of 2024 that the DPRK is now the largest supplier of weapons to Russia.
- On February 16, 2024, the Prosecutor General stated that Russian forces had already launched at least 24 North Korean-made NK-23 ballistic missiles over Ukraine. These are data for the period from December 30, 2023 to February 7, 2024.
- Investigators of the British Conflict Armament Research organization found hundreds of components produced in the USA and the EU in the remains of the North Korean ballistic missile that the Russian Federation used to attack Ukraine. Most of these parts were produced within the last three years, the report said.