Russia used North Korean missiles for Ukraine attacks: US

North Korea has provided Russia with ballistic missiles and missile launchers that were used in recent attacks on Ukraine in a major escalation of support for Moscow, the White House said Thursday.

Russia is also looking to obtain missiles from its ally Iran as it runs short of arms nearly two years into President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, it said.

The White House's comments came as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for boosting production of missile launchers in preparation for a "military showdown" with South Korea and the United States, the official Korean Central News Agency said.

The Pyongyang-supplied missiles with ranges of around 900 kilometers (550 miles) were fired by Russia in two attacks on Ukraine within the past week, U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.

"Our information indicates that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea recently provided Russia with ballistic missile launchers and several ballistic missiles," Kirby told reporters in a briefing at the White House.

"This is a significant and concerning escalation of the DPRK's support for Russia."

The development underscored the need for the U.S. Congress to pass a package of vital military aid for Ukraine, without which the pipeline of support will soon run dry, Kirby added.

Air defenses for Ukraine, which has come under a barrage of aerial attacks by Russia in recent days, were "absolutely" a priority, he said.

"It's critical that Congress meets this moment and responds by providing the Ukrainians what they need to defend themselves," Kirby said.

Russian forces launched at least one of the North Korean-supplied missiles on Dec. 30, which landed in an open field in the Zaporizhzhia region,...