NEW YORK: UN Security Council members including Japan on Wednesday condemned Russia for allegedly using ballistic missiles obtained from North Korea to attack Ukraine since the end of last year.

Besides Japan, the United States, South Korea and others rapped Russia at an emergency council meeting on Ukraine. Russia denied using such missiles, saying that the allegations are based on misinformation.

Prior to the meeting, seven council members plus nonmember Ukraine issued a joint statement condemning Russia and North Korea and urging them to “immediately cease any unlawful arms transfers.”

The seven council members included Japan, the United States, Britain, France and South Korea. Arms deals with North Korea are prohibited under Security Council resolutions.

“It is a totally outrageous situation in which the international community is demanding the observance of Security Council resolutions by a permanent member of the Security Council,” Kazuyuki Yamazaki, Japanese ambassador to the United Nations, told the meeting.

His South Korean counterpart, Hwang Joon-kook, said that North Korea is using Ukraine as a test site of its nuclear-capable missiles.”

Robert Wood, US alternate representative to the United Nations, criticized North Korea for violations that “further the suffering of the Ukrainian people.” He predicted that Russia will continue to attack Ukraine with North Korean-made missiles.

Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said that the United States “seems to be spreading information that is wrong.” Moscow has no intention of stopping its invasion of Ukraine, according to the ambassador.

JIJI Press