• North Korea criticizes a UN monitoring group's report on military ties with Russia.
• The MSMT report alleges North Korea supplied munitions to Russia, aiding missile attacks.
• North Korea defends its cooperation with Russia as a sovereign right under treaty obligations.

North Korea has strongly condemned a report from the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT), describing it as a biased political tool serving Western interests. The report alleges that North Korea's military cooperation with Russia facilitates Moscow's offensive actions in Ukraine, including the provision of over 20,000 containers of munitions, according to state media citing the North Korean Foreign Ministry and reports from Reuters, Channel News Asia, and TRT Global.

The North Korean Foreign Ministry labeled the MSMT a "bogus group" lacking legitimacy, stating its report is a "political provocation" and an outrageous encroachment on its sovereignty. The report, released Thursday, focuses on accusations that North Korea's actions violate UN Security Council resolutions aimed at curtailing its missile and nuclear programs. North Korea's government cites the need to maintain its military ties with Russia as a legitimate exercise of their sovereign rights under a treaty requiring mutual military assistance, according to Reuters and Channel News Asia.

The MSMT, established in October with support from the US and South Korea after the disbandment of the UN Panel of Experts, aims to enforce sanctions against North Korea. The North Korean response included a stern warning about the consequences of what it views as reckless acts by the MSMT, which it condemned as a violation of its rights and an infringement upon international legal principles regarding equality and non-interference, according to TRT Global.