Russia turns to fellow outcasts North Korea and Iran for help with faltering war effort

With aid continuing to flow to Ukraine from the West, and its own military increasingly strained, Russia is turning to fellow outcasts from the international community for shipments of weapons.

The Shahed-136 drones sent by Iran were used in last month's attacks by Russia against Ukrainian targets.

Moscow and Tehran denied the origin of the drones.

Intelligence shows that Russia is receiving aid from North Korea, a nation that operates outside of international guidelines. The National Security Council says that North Korea is supplying Russia with a significant number of artillery shells while trying to make it appear that they are going to countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

Iran and Syria are obvious candidates to be a stop over site for the North Korean shipments. Kirby wouldn't say how the United States got intelligence about the shipments or if they would try to intercept them.

Kirby told reporters that the United Nations would be consulted on additional accountability measures. The UN voted to condemn Russia for annexing four Ukrainian territories. Syria voted against the measure.

When Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine in February, he expected a quick victory and a change of government. Instead, he is in a war that is being won by the innovative use of weaponry from the western world.

As a result of the conflict, Russia has lost tens of thousands of soldiers. Since the beginning of the war, 1,183 tanks and 1, 304 infantry fighting vehicles have been destroyed.

With its own economy crippled by sanctions, Russia has sought assistance from rogue regimes.

The Pentagon believes that Iran may be preparing to send missiles to Russia. The Pentagon is concerned that Russia may seek to acquire more advanced munition capabilities from Iran, for example surface-to- surface missiles, to use in Ukraine.

Iran is thought to have sent members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to help teach Russians how to use Shahed-136 drones.

The sale of weapons to North Korea and Russia appears to have been completed.

Kirby said that the shipment would not change the course of the war and that the number of shells was not insignificant.

Alexander Lukashenko, the authoritarian president of Belarus, is a close ally of Putin.

China and Russia have a strong trade relationship, but China has refrained from punishing or isolating Russia. Beijing has not shown much interest in helping Putin on the battlefield.