US Says North Korea Covertly Supplying Artillery Shells To Russia To Support Ukraine War: Report

Russia Ukraine War: Our indications are that the DPRK is covertly supplying and we are going to monitor to see whether the shipments are received, said Kirby.

Amid escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine, White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby on Wednesday accused North Korea of supplying a "significant" amount of artillery ammunition to Russia under cover of shipments to the Middle East or Africa, as reported by news agency AFP.

"Our indications are that the DPRK is covertly supplying and we are going to monitor to see whether the shipments are received," Kirby told a virtual briefing, referring to North Korea by the initials of its official name.

Meanwhile, Senior Russian military leaders have talked about when and how they would use tactical nuclear in Ukraine, multiple US officials have claimed, the media reported.

The officials discussed situations in which they would utilize nuclear weapons, showing how frustrated the generals are about setbacks on the combat zone in Ukraine, Daily Mail announced.

They didn't discuss using the weapons with Russian President Vladimir Putin - - yet the discussions have uplifted worry about the possibility of a nuclear Armageddon, Daily Mail reported.

US government officials learned about the conversations in mid-October, as Moscow's nuclear rhetoric intensified, The New York Times reported.

It comes after Putin joked about the possibility of an nuclear war a week ago.

The Kremlin leader was approached to console a group of people at the Valdai Conversation Club think-tank that the world isn't on the verge of nuclear annihilation -- and chose to respond with a long pause.

When host Fyodor Lukyanov pointed out his silence was 'alarming', Putin answered: "I did that on purpose so you would be on your guard. The effect has been achieved."

John F. Kirby, a Public safety Gathering official, told the New York Times: "We've been clear from the outset that Russia's comments about the potential use of nuclear weapons are deeply concerning, and we take them seriously.

"We continue to monitor this as best we can, and we see no indications that Russia is making preparations for such use."

Russia's atomic reserve, the biggest on the planet, comprises of 'strategic', lower-yield bombs and vital weapons that can annihilate cities and population centres.

Its strategic nukes, with a yield of somewhere in the range of ten and 100 kilotons, are intended for use on the war zone an in challenged area.

In correlation, the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 was around 18 kilotons, Daily Mail reported.