American authorities say Russia helps North Korea develop new nuclear missile

The missiles developed with the use of Russian technologies are capable of reaching the US territory

Russia assists North Korea in the development of a new ballistic missile, an anonymous spokesperson for the US administration said on Friday. The spokesperson particularly said, North Korea continues developing a new type of a nuclear missile. North Korean specialists  allegedly conduct a close cooperation with Russian specialists and use Russian technologies too.

North Korea continues cooperating with Iran as well, the territory of which is used to test N.Korean missiles.

The US administration, the source said, is unaware of the details of Pyongyang's nuclear program. However, Washington is concerned with possible cooperation between North Korea and Russia, because the missiles developed with the use of Russian technologies are capable of reaching the US territory.

Jane's Defence Weekly was the first American media outlet to publish the information about the supposed cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang. According to the periodical, the missile developed on the base of the Soviet P-27 (SS-N-6 according to NATO's classification) will be possible to launch from a ship or a submarine. The missile will be capable of hitting a target at a distance of 2,500 – 4,000 kilometers. The journal wrote Russian specialists participated in the development of the N.Korean missile. It was also said Pyongyang might have taken launching elements off decommissioned Russian submarines, which N.Korea acquired at the end of the 1990s as metal scrap.

Jane's Defence Weekly wrote Russian specialists, who reportedly cooperate with N.Korean engineers, came from Chelyabinsk-based Makeyev's designing bureau, where P-27 missile was created in the 1960s.

Spokespeople for Makeyev's designing bureau said the information in the American journal was a “planned campaign against the Russian defense complex.” In addition, the bureau declined accusations pertaining to the ties with North Korea. The Russian Defense Minister stated: “We know, who is really involved in the development of the North Korean nuclear program. The problem is rather serious indeed, but the allegation concerning Russia's participation in it is a myth.” The minister, however, did not specify who is actually involved in the creation of the issue.

According to the logics of the US administration, Russia could be easily added to the notorious “axis of evil.” This term has been forgotten a little now, although Iran and North Korea still remain links of the axis concocted in Washington. In the event Russia cooperates with these countries it has to share the responsibility with them and to report the US authorities about it in detail.

It is not the first time the USA accuses Russia of cooperation with 'unreliable' regimes. A scandal has recently occurred during the Iraqi war. American officials said the Iraqi army was outfitted with GPS systems of the Russian production – the systems supposedly interfered in targeting missiles and aircraft bombs. There was no convincing evidence presented to prove it, though. It is more important to point out the malefactor's associate and everybody will understand the reason why the American army is not as fast and successful as it was originally planned to be.