U.S. diplomat: Russia has launched North Korean missiles at least 9 times in Ukraine

SEOUL, Feb. 7 (UPI) -- Russia has attacked Ukraine at least nine times with ballistic missiles supplied by North Korea, a U.S. diplomat said, highlighting concerns over the growing military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.

Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Robert Wood made the claim during a U.N. Security Council meeting on Ukraine held Tuesday.

"To date, Russia has launched DPRK-supplied ballistic missiles against Ukraine on at least nine occasions," Wood said.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is the official name of North Korea.

"Russia and the DPRK must be held accountable for their actions, which undermine longstanding obligations under U.N. Security Council resolutions," he said.

Washington and its allies have said that North Korea is supplying artillery and equipment to Russia for its attacks on Ukraine, while Pyongyang is believed to be receiving advanced technology for its space and missile programs in return.

"These unlawful arms transfers and potential technology transfers from Russia to the DPRK undermine regional stability and the global nonproliferation regime, as well as the Security Council's credibility," Wood said.

Moscow and Pyongyang have denied the accusations, but have grown closer over the past several months, with numerous high-level exchanges, including a rare overseas visit by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to Russia in September.

Russia called for the Security Council meeting after it claimed that a Ukrainian missile strike last week killed 28 civilians in Lysychansk, a Russian-occupied town in eastern Ukraine. Russia invaded Ukraine nearly two years ago.

Vassily Nebenzia, Russia's U.N. ambassador, said during the meeting that it was "quite obvious" that Washington was involved in the attack by supplying weapons systems and targeting information.

Nebenzia also said the United States bore culpability for the downing of a Russian military aircraft on Jan. 24 that left 74 dead, including 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war.

"Today we have irrefutable evidence that a Patriot missile system was used in the strike, which leaves no doubt that Washington is a direct accomplice in this crime," he said.

Senior Ukrainian diplomat to the United Nations Serhii Dvornyk said during Tuesday's session that Russia was misusing the Security Council platform to spread false allegations.

"The boundless cynicism of this regime that persists in inventing new allegations against the country it has fiercely attacked is astounding," Dvornyk said.

"As soon as Russia's bloody war is over, there will be no more human suffering and nor more civilian casualties in Europe," he added.

The United Nations has confirmed 10,382 civilian deaths, including 579 children, and 19,659 civilians injured in Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022.