Flags of Russia and North Korea are seen in front of the central railway station in Vladivostok, Russia, April 24, 2019, ahead of a summit in the city between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The US has accused North Korea of providing Russia with a shipment of weapons, claiming that Pyongyang is sending more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Moscow.

We condemn the DPRK for providing Russia with this military equipment, White House spokesman John Kirby said.

Kirby said North Korea is seeking military assistance from Russia, including fighter aircraft, surface-to-air missiles, armored vehicles and other advanced technologies in return.

The US is closely monitoring whether Moscow will deliver the weapons, but early signs of Russian ships offloading materials in North Korea may represent initial deliveries, he further said.

This expanding military partnership between the DPRK and Russia, including any technology transfers from Russia to the DPRK, undermines regional stability and the global non-proliferation regime, he added.

The White House said it had a series of satellite images that indicated cargo from an ammunition depot in North Korea (DPRK) was loaded on to a Russian-flagged ship and then taken by rail to a depot near Russia’s southwestern border.

The US says it will continue to enforce sanctions, expose the alleged arms deals, and make the case at the United Nations that the actions violate Security Council resolutions.

North Korea has backed Russia over the war in Ukraine, insisting that the hegemonic policy of the US-led NATO military alliance of Western governments forced Moscow to take military action to protect its national security interests.

The United States, in turn, has accused Pyongyang of providing arms to Russia to help combat the West-supplied Ukrainian forces. North Korea and Russia have, however, dismissed US claims as part of its usual publicity campaign against unfriendly countries.