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<ul class="summary-list"><li>The UN Security Council met on Monday to press North Korea on nuclear non-proliferation.</li><li>Pyongyang had days earlier launched a new ICBM, which recorded North Korea's longest launch trajectory.</li></ul>Pyongyang went loud and proud on Monday about its plans for nuclear weapons as the United Nations grilled its representative over a recent missile launch."We will accelerate and will not let up on the build-up of our nuclear force that can counter any threat presented by hostile nuclear weapons states," said Kim Song, the North Korean ambassador to the UN, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbH_GEkkaw4">at a Security Council meeting.</a>"There will ever never be any change in this line," he added, referring to North Korea as a "responsible nuclear weapon state."Kim's statement comes as Japan reported that North Korea fired at least <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/north-korea-fires-missile-south-korea-military-says-2024-11-04/">seven short-range ballistic missiles</a> from its east coast that ultimately fell into Japan-administrated waters.Launched on the eve of the US election, the missiles were characterized by Pyongyang as a response to recent joint military drills between the US, South Korea, and Japan involving their long-range bombers.Those joint drills were a signal to North Korea after its Thursday launch of what it said was a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile dubbed the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-new-icbm-missile-test-how-effective-2024-11">Hwasong-19</a>, which also landed in the Sea of Japan.Its trajectory was recorded as Pyongyang's longest-ever ballistic missile test, reaching an altitude of about 4,780 miles, though <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-responsible-for-new-north-korea-icbm-weapon-experts-say-2023-8">previous tests</a> have extended further in latitudinal distance.The US, Japan, and South Korea have condemned the launch.In his comments to the UN, Kim said the Hwasong-19 had "no slightest negative impact on the security of the neighboring countries."The UN Security Council had met on Monday to discuss the Hwasong-19 launch and to press North Korea on nuclear non-proliferation, but Kim instead blasted the meeting as "unlawful.""Today, the nuclear threat of the United States against the DPRK has already reached a critical point in terms of its scale and dangerous level," he said.<h2 id="0a21b4c2-3483-489e-b89e-c50366c67c1b">The US says North Korea 'emboldened' by Russia and China</h2>The US, in turn, accused Russia and China of protecting North Korea."Shielded from closer scrutiny of its sanctions-violating activities by Moscow and Beijing, Pyongyang, unsurprisingly, has been emboldened to continue advancing its unlawful ballistic missile and nuclear WMD programs," said Robert Wood, the deputy US ambassador to the UN.North Korean ties with Russia have more recently come under the spotlight as Moscow <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/zelenskyy-ukraine-north-korean-troops-preemptively-long-range-strike-restrictions-2024-11">receives manpower</a> and arms from Pyongyang to fuel its war in Ukraine. South Korea said earlier this year that in return, North Korea has been acquiring food, raw materials, and tech expertise from Russia.Ukraine, the US, and the UK have estimated that as many as 10,000 North Korean troops may be embedded with Russian forces, and that at least <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/north-korean-troops-ukraine-russia-kursk-8000-front-lines-2024-11">8,000 may soon be deployed to the front lines.</a>NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the manpower injection has given Russia a crucial way to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-cant-sustain-ukraine-attack-without-north-korea-nato-chief-2024-10">sustain its attack on Ukraine</a>, where Moscow has been estimated to be losing about 1,000 soldiers a day.Meanwhile, the Kremlin appears to be struggling to recruit new Russian men for the war, with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-sign-up-bonuses-reaching-on-par-with-us-military-2024-7">soaring sign-up bonuses</a> in some cities indicating that the supply of applicants is running low.

North Korea told the UN point blank that it's speeding up nuclear weapons development

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Houthis possess a sizable arsenal of weapons, including missiles and drones.</li><li>The Yemeni rebels couldn't have done that without foreign help, according to a new UN report.</li></ul>The Houthi rebels couldn't have amassed their dangerous arsenal of weapons without extensive help from Iran and its proxy forces in the Middle East, according to a new report for the United Nations.In the lengthy report, which was delivered to the UN Security Council last month, a panel of experts concluded that the Yemen-based Houthis have been receiving training, weapons, technical assistance, and financial support from Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah, and armed Iraqi groups.The Houthis are behind a yearlong campaign <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/houthis-getting-smarter-red-sea-attacks-ships-paying-the-price-2024-6">targeting key merchant shipping lanes</a> in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. They have launched more than 130 attacks — mainly using missiles and drones — against commercial and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-aircraft-carrier-rearmed-back-red-sea-battle-houthis-2024-5">Western naval vessels</a>.The rebels have struck a number of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/houthis-fatal-anti-ship-ballistic-missile-attack-2024-3">commercial vessels</a> during their campaign, sinking two of them and hijacking one (nearly a year later, its crew remains detained in Yemen). Four sailors have been killed so far as a result of the attacks.<div type="image" title="The Palestine 2 missile launches from Yemen." height="1602" width="2880" msid="114992487" hostid="261" sizebytes="105334"></div>The panel of experts said in their report that the Houthis have exploited the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and, through their attacks, have tried to boost their status within Iran's so-called "axis of resistance," a band of proxy forces around the Middle East.The Houthis held a military parade in September 2023, during which the group <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/houthis-painted-hypersonic-on-new-missile-israel-attack-2024-9">boasted a formidable arsenal</a> of anti-ship missiles, ballistic and cruise missiles, surface-to-air missiles, aerial drones, naval drones, speedboats, surveillance systems, and mines.However, the experts said that the Houthis do not have the ability to produce and develop complex weaponry like that without foreign assistance. They also said the rebels likely received external assistance in identifying, locating, and targeting commercial vessels since many of them turned off their automatic identification systems before they entered the area.<div type="image" title="The aftermath of a Houthi attack on a commercial tanker." height="1467" width="2200" msid="114992488" hostid="261" sizebytes="159726"></div>"The scale, nature and extent of transfers of diverse military materiel and technology provided to the Houthis from external sources, including financial support and training of its combatants, is unprecedented," the experts wrote in their report.US naval forces have repeatedly <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/navy-seals-drowned-mission-to-intercept-smuggled-iranian-weapons-investigation-2024-10">intercepted vessels</a> attempting to smuggle weapons from Iran to the Houthis illegally. One such mission in January resulted in the seizure of parts for ballistic and cruise missiles.The Pentagon has <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-weapons-expenditure-cost-middle-east-conflicts-2024-10">kept a naval presence</a> in and around the Red Sea throughout the Houthi campaign, during which American warships have <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-strike-group-scored-over-100-kills-battling-houthis-2024-10">routinely intercepted their missiles</a> and drones. Additionally, US forces have carried out <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/b-2-stealth-bombers-join-red-sea-fight-bomb-houthis-2024-10">significant airstrikes</a> against the rebels in Yemen.The UN panel of experts said US and UK forces together have destroyed more than 800 Houthi missiles and drones and have taken out command posts, radars, and weapons storage facilities.

The Houthis couldn't have built their most dangerous weapons without help from Iran and others, UN experts find

<ul class="summary-list"><li>As many as 8,000 North Korean troops are being deployed to Kursk, US officials said on Thursday.</li><li>While they're not fighting yet, the US expects they'll enter combat "in the coming days."</li></ul>Thousands of North Korean troops have been moved to the frontline region of Kursk and are expected to enter combat "in the coming days," top US officials said on Thursday.US State Secretary Antony Blinken said that as many as 8,000 North Korean soldiers were deployed to the battle-hit Russian territory, where Kyiv launched its counteroffensive this summer."We've not yet seen these troops deploy into combat against Ukrainian forces, but we would expect that to happen in the coming days," Blinken said in a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYakkoQox3Q&amp;ab_channel=AssociatedPress">joint press conference</a> with South Korean officials at the State Department.He said Russia has been training these soldiers to use artillery, unmanned aerial vehicles, and infantry operations such as trench clearing.US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin added at the conference that the North Korean soldiers were being equipped with Russian uniforms and gear."All of that strongly indicates that Russia intends to use these foreign forces in frontline operations in its war of choice against Ukraine," Austin said."Make no mistake," he added. "If these North Korean troops engage in combat or combat support operations against Ukraine they would make themselves legitimate military targets."Blinken and Austin's comments are the clearest statements from Washington so far about North Korea's direct involvement in the war.The Pentagon said on Monday that, in total, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-ukraine-war-russia-hesitant-west-bind-options-strategy-2024-10">Pyongyang had sent Russia at least 10,000 troops</a>, backing up a previous estimate from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.Videos of those troops circulating in mid-October appeared to show them training and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-appears-show-north-korean-soldiers-gearing-up-in-russia-2024-10">being fitted with new equipment.</a>Both Austin and Blinken characterized Russian leader Vladimir Putin's leaning on Pyongyang for manpower as a sign that Moscow is feeling the weight of its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-deaths-in-ukraine-70000-meat-grinder-attacks-bbc-putin-2024-9">war strategy in Ukraine</a>."One of the reasons that Russia is turning to these North Korean troops is that it's desperate," Blinken said. "Putin has been throwing more and more Russians into a meat grinder of his own making in Ukraine. Now he's turning to North Korean troops. And that is a clear sign of weakness."The new developments come as North Korea and Russia have forged closer ties, signing an agreement in June <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://apnews.com/article/vladimir-putin-kim-jong-un-russia-north-korea-summit-ukraine-a6b8d2c12de7ee2ab6716d4747c9850e">pledging to defend each other</a> if they come under attack.Russia, which has tried to stave off Western sanctions by steering its economy heavily toward military production, was accused by South Korea in February of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/north-korean-arms-factories-full-tilt-russias-war-south-korea-2024-2">raw materials and food to North Korea</a> in exchange for weapons.Ukrainian troops also said they've been finding North Korean weapons used against them. One analysis by the Conflict Armament Research group found that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-new-north-korean-missiles-made-this-year-ukraine-2024-9">missiles manufactured by Pyongyang this year</a> were likely already being fired in Ukraine.Such reports of North Korea's rapport with Russia and involvement in the war have prompted questions about the response in the coming weeks from South Korea, which is already one of the world's fastest-rising defense manufacturing industries.In March 2024, it became the country with the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/files/2024-03/fs_2403_at_2023.pdf">10th largest arms export market</a><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/files/2024-03/fs_2403_at_2023.pdf">,</a> riding a wave of European countries boosting their defense spending as the Ukraine war rages.Poland, for example, struck a<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/south-korea-lining-up-banks-help-finance-22-billion-arms-sale-poland-2023-11-03/"> $22 billion deal in November 2023</a> to buy arms from South Korea.Seoul's laws prohibit the offensive weapons it sells from being transferred to Ukraine, but it is now <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/south-korea-ukraine-weapons-big-difference-russia-north-korea-2024-10">weighing the option of striking down that ban</a> given Pyongyang's new involvement in the war.That measure will likely have to be approved by the South Korean Legislative Assembly.South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's administration has considered sending teams to observe North Korean troops in Ukraine, which it says will not require parliamentary consent. But opposition leaders in Seoul have condemned this course of action as<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_international/1165284.html"> unconstitutional,</a> saying it must be justified by a more immediate threat to South Korea.Russia's Ministry of Defense did not respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider.

8,000 of the troops Kim Jong Un sent to support Russia are about to hit the front lines, the US says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>North Korea's troops in Russia are largely thought to be from Pyongyang's elite Storm Corps.</li><li>But as more sightings of them emerge, doubts are rising about their true status as special forces.</li></ul>As questions arise over the quality of Kim Jong Un's troops in Russia, a former soldier who served in North Korea's special forces said they're likely the country's elite troops.Lee Woong-gil, who defected to South Korea in 2007, told the Seoul-based outlet <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2024/11/103_385749.html">The Korea Times</a> that he believes the North Korean men sighted in Russia are, indeed, special forces."They do not appear to be the finest members, however," he told the outlet.Washington and Kyiv believe that about 11,000 North Korean troops have been sent to Russia to aid its war in Ukraine, including some 8,000 dispatched to the Kursk region.The exact makeup of the deployment is unclear, but many of the troops are said to be Kim's elite branch, also known as the "Storm Corps" or "Black Berets." As early reports of the transfers emerged in mid-October, South Korea's intelligence agency had said that it observed an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/north-korean-special-forces-sent-russia-disguised-with-fake-identification-2024-10">initial wave of 1,500 special forces</a> entering eastern Russia.The spy agency later said that it believed North Korea <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://m.yna.co.kr/amp/view/AKR20241018139000504">planned to send four brigades worth of elite forces</a>, numbering 12,000 troops in total, to Russia.<div type="image" title="North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends a military demonstration in North Korea" height="1311" width="2000" msid="115166552" hostid="261" sizebytes="188396"></div>Lee told The Korea Times that those who survive a deployment in Kursk would gain valuable combat experience, a potential benefit for Kim's calculus in sending troops to fight Ukraine."Among them, the elite forces are deployed overseas on highly dangerous missions, such as the kidnapping and assassination of North Korean defectors, missionaries, and covert South Korean agents," said Lee, who <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-soldiers-russia-ukraine-war-651ac7615c3124fde657043a9193d6b1">The Associated Press reported</a> served in the Storm Corps from 1998 to 2003."However, the troops sent to Russia do not seem to be Tier 1 team members," he added.<h2 id="f457edcc-2585-4ac4-8606-fe72339b1ef1">The Storm Corps' elite status in question</h2>Still, there's been debate as to how well these troops measure up to modern standards for special forces, or if the North Korean men in Russia are even from the country's prestigious unit.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mnd.go.kr/user/mnd/upload/pblictn/PBLICTNEBOOK_202303070948276600.pdf">South Korea's defense ministry</a> estimates that the Storm Corps has 200,000 members in total, a staggering number for a special forces branch.During a September visit to a training base, Kim <a target="_blank" class="" href="http://kcna.kp/en/article/q/b9243d11f2d74891bab7867dcaf965f0.kcmsf">lauded</a> the division's members as each being worth 100 typical North Korean soldiers.But Seoul has also described these troops in Russia as young, inexperienced men sent to be "mere cannon fodder."<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-appears-show-north-korean-soldiers-gearing-up-in-russia-2024-10">Videos</a> on Russian social channels appearing to show the North Korean soldiers <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/25/world/asia/north-korea-russia-ukraine-video.html">seem to depict relatively shorter men</a> with smaller frames, leading to assessments that they arrived <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/05/north-korea-troops-russia-ukraine-war-kim-jong-un-putin">malnourished and vulnerable to disease.</a>Lee told <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-soldiers-russia-ukraine-war-651ac7615c3124fde657043a9193d6b1">the AP</a> in late October that the Storm Corps was generally better supplied than other units during his time there, but that its members still suffered from tuberculosis and malnutrition.James JB Park, a former South Korean defense and national security official, told <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/north-korean-soldiers-arrive-on-russias-front-line-how-ready-are-they-to-fight-84f885fa?mod=WSJ_Euronews">The Wall Street Journal</a> that Kim may have sent a first wave of more expendable soldiers to test the waters with Ukraine."They will pave the way for the more experienced ones," he told the outlet.Ukraine said that its troops had already launched attacks, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-details-first-ukraine-attack-north-korea-troops-russia-kursk-2024-11">including an artillery strike</a>, on North Korean soldiers in Kursk, where many of Pyongyang's troops are believed to be stationed to support the front lines."It was an ordinary combat engagement in the Kursk region," Andrii Kovalenko, the head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation, told Business Insider's Mia Jankowicz.<div type="image" title="North Korean troops in combat training with their shirts off. Kim Jong Un stands behind them in the background." height="413" width="636" msid="115166549" hostid="261" sizebytes="39588"></div>Kovalenko also warned that as they were stationed in Russia, North Korea's troops were being taught <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-passing-deadly-drone-techniques-to-north-korea-ukraine-official-2024-11">how to operate strike and reconnaissance drones.</a>An injection of 11,000 North Korean troops isn't likely to be a game changer for Russia, which was estimated by the UK to have lost about <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-suffered-1500-average-casualties-a-day-october-uk-official-2024-11">1,500 troops per day in October.</a>But it stands to be yet another source of manpower and resources for the Kremlin to continue its strategy of trying to overwhelm Ukraine with mass in a war of attrition.Pyongyang's direct involvement has sparked renewed concerns about the war escalating on a global front, with Seoul now saying that it won't rule out reversing a law that prevented the<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hanwha-aerospace-arms-manufacturing-howitzer-twice-fast-western-competitors-2024-6"> export of its weapons to Ukraine.</a>That comes as South Korea has become home to one of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-ships-jets-mark-rise-of-south-korea-defense-industry-2023-3">world's fastest-growing defense industries</a> in recent years. It is moving to become the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://eng.president.go.kr/speeches/R09h4tXx">globe's fourth-largest defense exporter by 2027</a>, up from <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/files/2024-03/fs_2403_at_2023.pdf">10th place in the 2019 to 2023 period.</a>

A former North Korean special forces soldier said Kim Jong Un's elite 'Storm Corps' in Russia likely isn't his A-team

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Netanyahu's trip to New York was designed to "trick" Hassan Nasrallah, an Israeli official has said.</li><li>His speech at the UN was part of a "diversionary plan," the official told The Telegraph.</li></ul>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent speech at the United Nations in New York was designed to "trick" Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, giving him a false sense of security, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/09/28/israel-hezbollah-leader-benjamin-netanyahu-un-speech/">a senior Israeli official told The Telegraph</a>.The "diversionary plan" aimed to make Nasrallah think Israel would not carry out significant military action with Netanyahu away."Netanyahu approved the strike before delivering his speech at the UN," the official said.The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/idf-says-hezbollah-leader-nasrallah-is-dead-2024-9">Israel Defense Forces said on Saturday</a> that Nasrallah, who had led Hezbollah since 1992, had been killed in a strike on Beirut on Friday.Hezbollah later confirmed his death while vowing to continue its fight against Israel "in support of Gaza and Palestine, and in defense of Lebanon."Hezbollah has since confirmed that two other senior officers, Ali Karaki, the commander of the Southern Front, and Nabil Qaouk, the commander of Hezbollah's Preventative Security Unit and a member of the group's Executive Council, had also been killed in airstrikes.During his UN address, Netanyahu said that Israel would "continue degrading Hezbollah until all our objectives are met."In a statement following the news of Nasrallah's death, President Joe Biden said: "The United States fully supports Israel's right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and any other Iranian-supported terrorist groups.""Ultimately, our aim is to de-escalate the ongoing conflicts in both Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means," he added.Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, condemned Nasrallah's killing in a series of statements on Saturday.Khameini has since been moved to a secure location as Iran tightens security in the wake of Israel's strikes on Lebanon, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iranian-leader-khamenei-calls-muslims-confront-israel-2024-09-28/">Reuters</a> reported on Saturday, citing two unnamed regional officials briefed by Tehran.

Netanyahu used his UN visit to 'trick' Hezbollah chief Nasrallah: report

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A few months in, the North Korea-Russia alliance appears to be working out for both sides.</li><li>According to a report, Russia is getting millions of artillery shells it needs to fight Ukraine.</li></ul>Earlier in the week, South Korea's intelligence services offered a glimpse of the upgraded alliance between Russia and North Korea in action.North Korea has been sending vast shipments of artillery ammunition to Russia, a lifeline in the invasion of Ukraine that has isolated it from much of the world.North Korea since 2022 sent 13,000 shipping containers to Russia that may contain up to 6 million shells, according to an intelligence report cited by a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20240827008600315">South Korean lawmaker.</a>It is a vastly larger cache than Ukraine's collection of Western allies has managed to pull together, despite being vastly wealthier.Ukraine's European allies fell well short of a goal of delivering 1 million shells to Ukraine in the year to May 2024.The North Korean supply line means Russia can continue sustaining its grinding war of attrition in Ukraine for the foreseeable future, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-producing-shells-three-times-faster-cheaper-ukraines-allies-report-2024-5">say analysts,</a> as it seeks to corrode international support for Kyiv and waits for Ukraine to run out of ammo.And on the other hand, North Korea is receiving technology to help it advance despite being a pariah state.<h2 id="1e5716e6-154b-4175-8767-96957750dda6">A new use for old guns</h2>Old-fashioned munitions have become vital once more in Ukraine, where fighting often resembles the grueling trench warfare of World War I. And with both sides <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-fires-2000-shells-day-minister-one-third-of-russia-2024-2">firing thousands of rounds a day, </a>volume counts.Unlike the sophisticated precision-guided weapons provided to Ukraine by its Western allies, shells don't rely on GPS systems for guidance, so can't be <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-electronic-warfare-shows-us-needs-for-future-wars-2024-5">countered by electronic warfare units</a> that scramble their coordinates.They're something that North Korea has in large supply."While in most respects the DPRK lags behind NATO states in military technology, mass production of artillery shell ammunition doesn't require sophistication," Jacob Parakilas, a defense analyst at RAND Europe, told Business Insider.He said that since 1953 North Korea has been preparing for a resumption of an "existential" war with the US, building up massive stockpiles.The unquenchable need for ammunition in Ukraine means that North Korea's large stash found an unexpected new value, allowing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to broker a deal with Russia's President Vladimir Putin that's proving fruitful for both sides.In return for crates of old-fashioned shells, Kim's getting valuable military technology from the Kremlin."Russia can offer some fairly important incentives in terms of technology transfer, which Pyongyang may judge to be more valuable than a portion of its armaments reserve," Parakilas said.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-was-helping-north-korea-before-botched-satellite-launch-report-2024-5">According to reports,</a> Russia may be providing North Korea with satellite technology that enables it to surveil and more accurately target military sites belonging to the US and its allies in east Asia.Russia has also used its diplomatic power as a permanent UN Security Council member to shield North Korea, using its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.chathamhouse.org/2024/04/russias-veto-un-sanctions-monitoring-will-further-embolden-north-korea">veto in April</a> to hobble the commission that monitors North Korea's nuclear program.Most of the globe has long sought to isolate North Korea and pressure it to dismantle its nuclear weapons. The Kremlin's new stance is an abrupt U-turn.And Kim may be able to leverage Russia's need for shells still further to secure more technology its antiquated military badly needs."North Korea's air force, for example, is woefully small and desperately in need of more modern aircraft to be a viable fighting force," Parakilas explained.<h2 id="49fd8307-e3e8-4e1c-862e-222e575f2a77">A precarious alliance</h2>But while both leaders are reaping short-term gains, there are problems on the horizon that could derail the alliance.While North Korea is delivering the shells Russia needs in volume, their quality is often shoddy, and there are doubts over North Korea's capacity to keep up the deliveries."Ukrainian sources suggest that the shells Russia has received from the DPRK are dated — some allegedly manufactured in the 1970s and 1980s — and are of poor quality, having a high rate of failure," said Daniel Salisbury, an expert on arms proliferation at King's College London.And Putin's decision to draw closer to Kim is endangering his relationship with his most important ally, the Chinese leader Xi Jinping.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/putin-kim-jong-un-getting-closer-china-reason-to-worry-2024-6">Analysts told Business Insider in June</a> that Xi is watching the security alliance between Russia and North Korea warily, concerned that it could upset the balance of power in east Asia and spark a conflict China would sooner avoid.<h2 id="45bff0bb-f45f-4ec1-ad71-f33344bb8d33">A Cold War alliance renewed</h2>But for now, it's a relationship that both pariah leaders are reaping benefits from, renewing an alliance formed decades ago when the Kremlin helped arm North Korea in its fight against the US and its allies in the Cold War."Much of the materiel it has produced during that time will still be at least minimally viable for Russian purposes, since the bulk of its weaponry is Soviet-designed and therefore compatible with what Russian forces use," said Parakilas.

Putin and Kim Jong Un's new alliance is proving to be a win-win

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Vladimir Putin gifted Kim Jong Un 24 purebred horses as payment for artillery shells, The Times reported.</li><li>The horses — 19 stallions and five mares — are Orlov Trotters, Kim's favorite breed.</li></ul>Russian President Vladimir Putin gifted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un two dozen purebred horses as payment for artillery shells, The Times <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.thetimes.com/world/russia-ukraine-war/article/putin-keeps-kim-sweet-by-giving-more-purebred-horses-qzw6j8gwm">reported</a>.The outlet cited an announcement from veterinary authorities in Primorsky Krai, a Russian region connected to North Korea by train.The announcement noted that 24 horses were transported across the border on Sunday, The Times wrote.The horses — 19 stallions and five mares — are Orlov Trotters, a white-grey breed that is Kim's favorite.The North Korean leader's love for the horses is well documented. In 2019, he was <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/world/the-north-korean-history-behind-kim-jong-uns-mountain-horse-ride-idUSKBN1WW1J9/">famously pictured</a> riding a white stallion on Mount Paektu during snowfall.This is the latest example of animal diplomacy between the two countries.In June, Reuters <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/north-koreas-kim-gives-pair-dogs-putin-2024-06-20/">reported</a> that Kim gifted Putin a<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vladimir-putin-kim-jong-un-fan-art-russia-north-korea-2024-6#putin-was-also-given-a-pair-of-pungsan-hunting-dogs-10"> pair of white Pungsan dogs</a>, a North Korean breed, citing state media KCNA.And in August, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.politico.eu/article/kim-jong-un-vladimir-putin-russia-north-korea-goats-cooperation/">Politico reported</a> that Russia had sent over 447 goats to North Korea, which would provide dairy products to local children and alleviate North Korea's food shortages.The two leaders are increasingly strengthening ties between their countries, a trend that has <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/putin-kim-alliance-as-much-a-problem-for-china-us-2024-6">worried China and the West.</a>In June, Putin became the first Russian leader to visit North Korea in 24 years. During the high-profile visit, they signed a defense pact in which they pledged to protect each other if attacked.The partnership stated that North Korea would <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-south-korea-weapons-are-fueling-war-in-ukraine-2024-6#:~:text=North%20Korea%20and%20South%20Korea%20have%20sent%20weapons%20to%20opposing,by%20sending%20ammo%20to%20Ukraine.">supply Russia with artillery</a> for its war in Ukraine, while <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-was-helping-north-korea-before-botched-satellite-launch-report-2024-5">reports</a> say that Russia would <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-was-helping-north-korea-before-botched-satellite-launch-report-2024-5">provide</a> North Korea with satellite technology.Some parts of their meeting in June, however, were less serious than others. They made sure to show off what seemed like a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vladimir-putin-kim-jong-un-fan-art-russia-north-korea-2024-6">budding bromance</a>, giving each other lavish gifts like cars, art, and animals.

Putin gifted Kim Jong Un 24 purebred horses as payment for the artillery shells North Korea sent to Russia: report       

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Russia entered into a new security pact with the rogue state North Korea. </li><li>It's an alliance probably being viewed with caution in Beijing, analysts say.</li></ul>Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, recently signed a<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/south-korea-could-arm-ukraine-after-russia-north-korea-pact-2024-6"> defense pact</a> to protect against what they characterized as the malign forces of US imperialism.But it's not just the US's allies in East Asia that appear alarmed by the new alliance between the authoritarian leaders.Anxiety appears to be growing in a state that's emerged as both Russia and North Korea's most important international ally: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-choice-between-fueling-ukraine-war-and-trade-europe-g7-2024-6">China</a>.<h2 id="340f4f84-b7a2-4513-9bd8-abcd8a7dc4fd">A muted response</h2>China's response to the pact, which saw Putin and Kim pledge to defend each other's countries if attacked, was revealingly muted."The cooperation between <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-ukraine-security-deal-hollow-pledge-putin-ceasefire-russia-us-2024-6">Russia</a> and the DPRK is a matter between two sovereign states. We do not have information on the relevant matter," a spokesman for China's foreign ministry said.Analysts say the alliance is probably being viewed warily by China's leader, Xi Jinping, who fears his power will be eroded in the Korean peninsula.Danny Russel, the top US diplomat for Asia in the Obama administration, told the <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/china-north-korea-russia-defense-agreement-3998a978ed89fd42b6da654ab1572873">Associated Press</a> that China could emerge as the "biggest loser" from the security pact."Apart from irritation over Putin's intrusion into what most Chinese consider their sphere of influence, the real cost to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/saudi-seeks-china-neom-mbs-investment-risk-vision-crown-prince-2024-6">China</a> is that Russia's embrace gives North Korea greater impunity and room to maneuver without consideration to Beijing's interests," he said.<h2 id="6719acad-7272-4375-a7d3-19e7bb6131e1">An important ally</h2>China has long been North Korea's most important international ally, providing trade, diplomatic support, and military aid to Kim.It's the only country in the world with which China has a joint defense pact.But in recent years, the relationship has become strained. North Korea has defied attempts by the international community to compel it to dismantle the nuclear weapons it menaced its neighbors with.Russia's invasion of Ukraine has meanwhile destabilized relations between Beijing and Pyongyang further.<div type="image" title="Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un waving to crowds with North Korean and Chinese flags." height="809" width="1024" msid="111234721" hostid="261"></div>Russia is leaning on North Korea for supplies of badly needed artillery for its forces in Ukraine, and in exchange, Russia appears to have shared with North Korea the satellite technology Kim has long coveted.It's a dynamic that's upset the delicate balance of power in the Korean peninsula.<h2 id="199df3b1-ca6f-4907-8972-782ba92ee574">An emboldened Kim Jong Un</h2>Russia's extra military power could embolden Kim to act more erratically and aggressively. While China is willing to prop up North Korea, it's also keen to restrain <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vladimir-putin-kim-jong-un-fan-art-russia-north-korea-2024-6">Kim</a>.With China's economy experiencing a rare downturn, Xi is eager to avoid a flare-up in the Korean Peninsula, and the Kremlin's new partnership with North Korea has reduced China's leverage."The dilution of Chinese leverage means Kim Jong Un can disregard Beijing's calls for restraint," Russell told the AP, "and that is much more likely to create chaos at a time when Xi Jinping desperately wants stability."But it's not just the impoverished North Korea that's reliant on its partnership with China. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-china-in-russia-pocket-power-imbalance-xi-jinping-putin-2024-6">Russia has grown increasingly dependent on its own relationship with China</a> since it invaded Ukraine.Amid sanctions and international isolation, China has continued to provide Russia with vital diplomatic support and, the US says, dual-use goods for Russia's armaments industry.Like Russia and North Korea, China wants to damage US global power, and though it's stopped short of providing Russia with weapons, its support remains crucial.This means China has enough influence over both Russia and North Korea to exert control over their new alliance.Yun Sun, the director of the China program at Washington's Stimson Center think tank, told <a target="_blank" href="https://edition.cnn.com/2024/06/23/china/china-wary-putin-kim-new-alliance-intl-hnk/index.html">CNN</a> that Beijing appeared unable to control the pace of Russia's new alliance with North Korea.She added, however, that "they do know that China plays an irreplaceable role for both Russia and North Korea."China has considerable influence over both countries. It may have to use that influence sooner rather than later.

Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un are getting closer &mdash; and China has reason to be worried

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="19900599" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Israel" source="keywords">Israel</keyword> used <keyword id="22000612" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-made-bombs" source="keywords">US-made bombs</keyword> to strike a <keyword id="21979954" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="UN-run-school" source="Orion">UN-run school</keyword> in <keyword id="19897913" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gaza" source="keywords">Gaza</keyword>, a <keyword id="22000613" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CNN-analysis" source="Orion">CNN analysis</keyword> found.</li><li><keyword id="380326" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Israeli-forces" source="Orion">Israeli forces</keyword> attacked the school, serving as a refugee camp for 6,000 people, overnight.</li></ul>Israel used US-made bombs to strike a school in central Gaza, killing dozens of people, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/06/middleeast/israel-airstrike-un-school-gaza-intl-hnk/index.html">CNN reported</a>. The United Nations-run school was being used as a refugee camp, housing about 6,000 displaced people, when missiles struck it overnight, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East <a target="_blank" href="https://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/official-statements/another-horrific-day-gaza">said in a statement</a>. CNN analyzed video of the strike and consulted a weapons expert to determine that Israel used US-made explosives in the attack. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed the attack Thursday, saying in a statement to BI that it was targeting a Hamas compound operating inside the school. The IDF said it had "eliminated" some Hamas fighters in the strike. "Attacking, targeting or using UN buildings for military purposes are a blatant disregard of International Humanitarian law," the UNRWA said in its statement, adding that UN "staff, premises and operations must be protected at all times." Palestinian health officials estimated that dozens of refugees were killed, including children, the <a target="_blank" href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/06/1150721#:~:text=%22UNRWA%20can%20confirm%20that%20one,is%20between%2035%20and%2045.">United Nations said in a news release</a>. A spokesperson for the IDF said he didn't know about any civilian deaths, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/gaza-unrwa-school-hit-israel-idf-hamas-rcna155786">NBC News reported</a>. "We were asleep here, we suddenly saw rockets falling. I went down holding my child, we were both injured, my relative was martyred in that room," Jaber Abu Daher, a local journalist, told CNN, adding that Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "is killing the civilians, he is not killing militants." "It's innocent people asleep in a UNRWA facility," he said. "What did children and elderly do? What did they do to him? He is looking for Hamas people? Go look for them, why are you killing us in schools?" The IDF told BI that a number of steps were taken to reduce the risk of harming civilians in the attack. The strike is the latest Israeli military action that's sparked international outcry as its war against Hamas drags on. Last month, an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-billion-weapon-package-israel-haunt-him-rafah-red-line-2024-5">airstrike in southern Gaza killed at least 45 people</a>, according to Palestinian health authorities. Those health authorities say tens of thousands have been killed in Israeli bombings since the war began last October, after Hamas launched terrorist attacks across the border, killing hundreds and taking hostages. The overnight airstrike on the school Gaza also presents another challenge to President Joe Biden, who has urged Israel and Hamas to come to a cease-fire deal and has pressured the US ally to avoid civilian casualties. Biden is facing pressure from his left flank in the US from progressive voters who accuse him of supporting "genocide" by backing Israel's campaign. Correction: June 7, 2024 — A previous version of this article included an incorrect figure originally cited by CNN. The refugee camp served about 6,000 people, not 20,000.

US-made bombs reportedly used in latest Israeli strike on a school in Gaza 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US says <keyword id="23601409" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="North-Korean-troops" source="keywords">North Korean troops</keyword> are in Russia, possibly bound for the war in Ukraine.</li><li>The soldiers face strict measures to prevent their desertion, <keyword id="19910206" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="North-Korea" source="keywords">North Korea</keyword> experts told BI.</li></ul>Any North Korean troops sent to fight in Ukraine would be subject to harsh measures to ensure they don't desert, observers have told Business Insider. There are growing reports of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-troops-aid-russia-what-means-for-ukraine-war-2024-10">a mass North Korean deployment</a> in support of <keyword id="20021739" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Russian-troops" source="keywords">Russian troops</keyword>. On Wednesday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said "there is evidence" that North Korean troops were training in Russia. Scattered reports have claimed that smaller numbers of North Korean troops are already in Ukraine. Ukrainian outlets <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://suspilne.media/858583-vijskovi-kndr-vze-tikaut-z-pozicij-na-kordoni-iz-branskou-ta-kurskou-oblastami-dzerela/">Suspilne</a> and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://hromadske.ua/viyna/233244-rosiiany-zlovyly-soldativ-z-kndr-iaki-vtekly-z-pozytsiy-na-kurshchyni-yikh-mozut-kynuty-na-shturm-rozvidka">Hromadske</a> reported some early desertions, citing anonymous sources. Business Insider could not independently confirm the reports, and Ukraine's military-defense agency did not respond to a request for comment. <h2>A tight leash</h2>Committing large numbers of troops abroad is risky for <keyword id="19916006" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kim-Jong-Un" source="keywords">Kim Jong Un</keyword>, who oversees a totalitarian state that rarely lets people out. But the prize for cooperating with Russia is great — <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-military-officials-helping-russia-ukraine-win-for-kim-2024-10">technological advancement and help for North Korea's cash-strapped economy</a>. Joseph S. Bermudez Jr, an expert in North Korean defense at the Center for International and Strategic Studies, told BI that those sent abroad would quickly see that even a life of poverty in Russia and Ukraine is better than what's at home. "It's hard to imagine how tightly controlled North Korean society is," he said. <div type="image" title="This image released by South Korea's spy agency the National Intelligence service shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un watches numerous shirtless North Korean troops in combat training, according to the agency." height="413" width="636" msid="114545263" hostid="261"></div>North Korea operates a complex social hierarchy in which citizens are tracked and classed according to perceived loyalty. It's often inherited from the actions of your parents or even grandparents, and has been described as effectively a form of caste system. According to a <a href="https://www.hrnk.org/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/publications/eng/HRNK_Songbun_Web.pdf" target="_blank">landmark work</a> on the subject by Robert Collins, an expert on North Korean security, only those classed as most loyal can become army officers. Kim is likely to only send "politically reliable people" to fight, Bermudez said. Those sent to aid Russia are likely accompanied by officials from the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, he added. "They file reports on everybody." "Are they drinking too much? Are they trying to acquire goods that they can't get in North Korea and send them home?" They're also likely to have to undergo <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-31/welcome-to-north-koreas-self-criticism-classes/10936152">self-criticism sessions</a>, Bermudez said — an intense group practice of confessing one's shortcomings. They might berate themselves by saying something like: "'I didn't think of the Kim family 20 times today," said Bermudez. "'I only did 15.'" He said soldiers would be sent to a re-indoctrination camp on their return to North Korea to reaffirm their loyalty. Those who return would likely be honored and given greater privileges, such as a better job. Families of those who die in battle also gain immense social respect and advantages, he said. <div type="image" title="North Korean leader Kim Jong Un peers through a pair of binoculars during a military demonstration in North Korea." height="1930" width="2965" msid="114545259" hostid="261"></div>The North Korean state also has harshermeans to keep its citizens abroad in check. According to Bruce W. Bennett, a defense researcher and North Korea specialist at RAND, those who leave, like diplomats, are almost never allowed to bring their whole family with them. "It is very typical for the Kims to insist that at least one member of any family operating overseas remain in Pyongyang as a hostage," he told BI. And anyone who does defect ensures that their whole family suffers, Bermudez said. "North Korea believes in generational punishment." In interviews with escapees and defectors, he said, "one of the greatest sorrows that they have is that they've left family." That's because their extended family would likely be sent to brutal work camps — described by Bermudez described as similar to a Nazi work camp or a Soviet gulag. <h2>An opportunity for the West?</h2>Kim is"scared to death" of information being brought back to North Korea from abroad, Bennett said. The leader rails against culture from the outside world — like in 2021, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kim-jon-un-called-k-pop-vicious-cancer-framed-threat-2021-6">when he called K-Pop a "vicious cancer"</a> — because he perceives it as a major threat, Bennett said. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://nationalinterest.org/blog/korea-watch/kim-jong-uns-fears-could-be-exploited-211224">An earlier assessment in The National Interest</a> argued that South Korea, in particular, is well-positioned to exploit this anxiety. On Tuesday, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kim-yo-jong-kim-jong-un-sister-life-bio-photos-2018-2">Kim's sister Kim Yo Jong</a>, who has been called his de facto second-in-command, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://global.espreso.tv/world-about-ukraine-north-koreas-kim-yo-jong-calls-ukraine-bad-dog-bred-by-us">lashed out</a> at both Ukraine and South Korea, comparing them to "bad dogs bred by the US." Bennett said that the presence of North Korean troops in Ukraine could offer a rare opportunity to reach high-placed North Korean citizens. "The question we've eventually got to ask is, why isn't the US and the Western countries trying to use this situation more to our advantage?" he said. Correction: October 24, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated the name of the author of the landmark work on North Korea's social hierarchy. It's Robert Collins, not Mark Collins.

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