US imposes sanctions on entities 'transferring' military equipment between North Korea and Russia

America also claimed that Russia has relied upon North Korea to wage its war on Ukraine and said that the relationship between the two countries poses a wide-ranging threat to global security and the international non-proliferation regime.

"The United States is today imposing sanctions on five Russia-based individuals and entities connected to the transfer of military equipment and components between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Russian Federation in violation of the UN arms embargo on the DPRK. Russia has increasingly relied upon the DPRK for munitions to wage its war on Ukraine and has fired dozens of DPRK-supplied ballistic missiles against targets in Ukraine," the statement read.

"Today's action builds on several sanctions designations over the past year targeting the Russia-DPRK military relationship and highlights our opposition to continued arms transfers and the deepening of defense cooperation between Russia and DPRK. Russia has already used upwards of 40 DPRK-produced ballistic missiles against Ukraine, as well as munitions, which Moscow imported in direct contravention of UNSC resolutions on the DPRK," it added.

The US also condemned Russia's exercise of veto at the UN Security Council resolution that would have extended the mandate of the UN 1718 Committee Panel of Experts, a body that documented the DPRK's UN sanction violations.

"The deepening DPRK-Russia relationship poses a wide-ranging threat to global security and the international non-proliferation regime. We condemn Russia's veto of the UN Security Council resolution that would have extended the mandate of the UN 1718 Committee Panel of Experts, a body that documented the DPRK's UN sanctions violations. We will continue to take all appropriate steps to counter the destabilizing Russia-DPRK partnership and call on others in the international community to join us," the statement said.

Notably, North Korea and Russia have become increasingly close over the past year as Pyongyang advances its weapons and nuclear programmes and Moscow continues its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The United States and South Korea have raised concerns that North Korea is supplying Russia with weapons to use in its war in Ukraine in return for technological expertise.

Russia and China, North Korea's oldest ally, have repeatedly blocked attempts to impose new UN sanctions on North Korea over its banned ballistic missile tests, according to Al Jazeera.

South Korea's Ministry of Unification said it had assessed that the gift of the luxury car, Aurus, was also a "violation of UN sanctions."

"We condemn North Korea for its brazen attitude of publicly disclosing violations of UN sanctions," a ministry official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"Russia should also be aware of its responsibility as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and stop an act that undermines international norms," the official added. (ANI)