The Biden administration disclosed Wednesday that North Korea will be supplying Russia with a "significant" number of artillery shells for its war with Ukraine.
In a press briefing, John Kirby, the White House's National Security Council spokesman, said U.S. officials had previously been given information about the Russians' request for military shells from North Korea.
And now, Kirby acknowledges the weaponry shipments have begun.
"We're not talking dozens here. It's a significant number of artillery shells," said Kirby, according to The Wall Street Journal. "We're still monitoring this to determine if the shipments have been actually received."
The timing of the North Korean shipments coincides with the Ukrainian troops reportedly making strong advances against the Russian army, particularly in the eastern regions of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the Journal reports that Russia "is firmly in control" of Crimea, including a land bridge which connects from that peninsula into Russian territory.
According to the Journal, Kirby says the Biden administration suspects that North Korea's delivery of artillery shells were routed through places in the Middle East and North Africa.
Right now, the Russian troops are primarily focused on artillery barrages and airstrikes which "remain intense on the front line" in southern and eastern Ukraine, the Journal reports.
Also, according to the Journal, "North Korea has sought closer ties with Russia" over the last eight-plus months.
As such, North Korea has also blamed the U.S. for the Ukraine crisis and decried the West's "hegemonic policy" when it comes to handling the fallout of war, the Journal reports.
Last month, there were reports of Iranian military officials training Russian troops in Crimea, providing hands-on instruction for implementing Iran's "kamikaze" drones against Ukraine.
And earlier this week, Newsmax chronicled how a spokesman for Ukraine's Air Force speculated that Russia acquiring ballistic missiles from Iran could bring disastrous results for the Ukrainian troops' wartime effort.
For that press briefing, Yurii Ihnat responded to a Reuters report that Iran and Russia previously "came to a deal" on the Kremlin collecting surface-to-surface ballistic weapons and attack drones.
Ihnat emphasized that Ukraine would "take all measures of protection against these missiles. ... They will probably be delivered to the North of Ukraine; that's where they can be launched from, in such a way as to threaten the whole of Ukraine."
Also, Ihnat said one of the missile types being supplied to Russia has a range of 300 kilometers (or 186 miles). Another long-range missile can cover up to 700 kilometers (or 430-plus miles).
"These are ballistic missiles. We have no effective defense against these missiles," said Ihnat, while adding that "it is theoretically possible to shoot them down, but in fact, it is very difficult to do it with the means we have at our disposal. We have anti-air defense, but not anti-missile defense."