The US imposed sanctions against the mediator between the DPRK and Russia

The United States has imposed sanctions against a citizen of Slovakia who, according to the US Treasury Department, tried to act as an intermediary during the conclusion of a deal on the sale of weapons to Russia by North Korea.

It follows from the message of the US Treasury that Ashot Mkrtychev, a native of Azerbaijan and a Slovak citizen, violated the sanctions imposed by Washington against the DPRK. As stated in the message, in late 2022 and early 2023, Mkrtychev, together with some representatives of North Korea, conducted negotiations with Russian representatives about the supply of about 20 types of weapons from the DPRK to Russia in exchange for a passenger plane and raw materials. Allegedly, appointed Russian representatives agreed to conclude a deal. Also, as it is claimed, Mkrtychev together with a Russian representative dealt with the issue of the delivery of the plane to the DPRK.

As stated in the message, Russia has already lost about 9 thousand units of military equipment since the beginning of the war in Ukraine and is now looking for opportunities to replenish stocks. “Schemes like the one in question in the Mkrtychev case show that suppliers such as Iran and North Korea remain Putin’s last hope,” US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.

The United States previously claimed that Pyongyang supplies Russia, including PMC “Wagner”, with ammunition. The authorities of the DPRK denied this. The creator and sponsor of PMC “Wagner” Yevgeny Prigozhin called information about the supply of weapons from North Korea “rumors and speculation”.

• Ashot Mkrtychev was convicted in Slovakia by a court of first instance in 2009 on charges of organizing a contract killing. Then the Slovak mass media called him a “former arms dealer”. The verdict, however, never entered into legal force. Now Mkrtychev owns one company in Slovakia with an authorized capital of 5 thousand euros.