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North Korea Sending Russia Thousands of Shells and Missiles, Says US Indo-Pacific Commander
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![Photo of Liubava Petriv]( "Photo of Liubava Petriv")
The top US military commander in the Pacific, Admiral Samuel Paparo, expressed concerns about the growing military support that China and North Korea are providing to Russia amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, according to Associated Press (AP) on April 10.
Speaking to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Paparo warned that this collaboration presents a significant security risk to the Indo-Pacific region.
Paparo explained that China has supplied Russia with essential materials, including 70% of the machine tools and 90% of the legacy chips that Moscow is using to bolster its military capabilities. In return, China is reportedly receiving technological assistance, potentially improving its submarine stealth capabilities and other defense technologies.
Senators also questioned Paparo and General Xavier Brunson, commander of US Forces Korea, on China’s growing influence in the region. Both commanders emphasized the strategic importance of US forces in South Korea and the broader Indo-Pacific region for diplomacy and national security, especially as Russia and China strengthen their ties. The US maintains 28,500 military personnel in South Korea.
Paparo also highlighted that North Korea has been sending substantial military aid to Russia, including “thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands” of artillery shells and short-range missiles. In exchange, he said, North Korea expects to receive air defense and surface-to-air missile systems.
“It’s a transactional symbiosis where each state fulfills the other state’s weakness to mutual benefit of each state,” Paparo said, referring to the partnership between Russia, China, and North Korea.
Gen. Brunson noted that North Korea has shown an increasing ability to send military support to Russia, while continuing to advance its own military capabilities, particularly in areas like hypersonic weapons.
He also pointed out that North Korea’s military force, which includes over 1.3 million personnel, is now more modernized, thanks in part to Russian military support.
Paparo further underscored the growing threat posed by North Korea’s efforts to develop advanced nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, which he said directly threatens the security of the US and its allies.
