Earthquake Triggers Massive Jailbreak in Pakistan: Over 130 Prisoners Still Missing After Malir Prison Escape

In a stunning revelation that underscores the growing strategic alliance between North Korea and Russia, an international watchdog report has confirmed that Pyongyang has supplied Moscow with troops, missiles, and millions of munitions over the past year. The deliveries are said to have significantly boosted Russia’s ability to carry out missile strikes on Ukrainian cities during its prolonged war with Ukraine.

The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT), formed by 11 member states after Russia dissolved a UN panel monitoring sanctions on North Korea, released the damning report on Thursday. The MSMT’s findings lay bare the scale of illegal military cooperation between North Korea and Russia — a partnership in blatant violation of UN arms embargoes and Security Council resolutions.

According to the report, North Korea delivered:

• Over 9 million rounds of artillery shells and ammunition in 2024 alone,
   
• More than 11,000 troops to Russian fronts in 2023, and 3,000 additional soldiers earlier this year,
   
• Heavy artillery including rocket launchers, vehicles, self-propelled guns, and other large-caliber weaponry,
   
• At least 100 ballistic missiles, which have reportedly been used to strike Ukrainian cities like Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia, causing widespread civilian terror and destruction.
   

These contributions have enabled Russia to ramp up its missile barrages targeting critical civilian infrastructure, the report said.

In return for North Korea’s extensive support, Russia has supplied Pyongyang with:

• Air defense systems and anti-aircraft missiles,
   
• Electronic warfare technology,
   
• Refined oil, which is subject to sanctions,
   
• Technical feedback from the battlefield to help North Korea enhance the accuracy and performance of its ballistic missile systems.
   

This exchange of arms and technological expertise not only funds North Korea’s prohibited weapons programs but also gives Pyongyang real-time experience in modern warfare — a critical development for its militaristic ambitions.

The MSMT warns that this illegal arms collaboration will likely continue in the near future. Western nations, including the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, France, Germany, South Korea, and Australia, have jointly called on North Korea to engage in diplomacy and cease arms transfers.

The deepening ties between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un have alarmed NATO and Western defense analysts. Recent intelligence reports suggest Russia may soon share satellite and space-launch technology with North Korea in exchange for continued military aid.

For the first time in April, Putin publicly confirmed that North Korean troops had fought in the Kursk region, aiding Russian efforts to repel Ukrainian incursions. Ukrainian officials had earlier reported heavy North Korean casualties and noted the withdrawal of Pyongyang’s forces in January 2025.

Although both North Korea and Russia continue to deny arms transfers, satellite imagery, open-source research, and statements from MSMT members point to undeniable proof of military collaboration.

The two authoritarian regimes formalized a landmark defense pact in 2024, pledging to provide immediate military aid if either country is attacked. As Western nations continue arming Ukraine, Putin has threatened to respond by arming Pyongyang in return.

The latest escalation comes amid renewed aerial bombardments by Russia on Ukrainian territory, and following the US lifting restrictions on Ukraine to fire long-range missiles into Russia.

In a devastating act of violence, a suicide attack on a school bus in Khuzdar, located in Pakistan’s troubled Balochistan province, claimed the lives of three children and two adults on Wednesday. The bus was carrying students from an Army Public School, a military-run education network serving children of military personnel across Pakistan.

According to Yasir Dashti, a senior provincial official, the bus was filled with “a large number” of children when it was targeted. The blast left at least 38 people wounded, many of them severely, in what officials have described as a direct assault on schoolchildren.

The explosion occurred in Khuzdar, a city in the mineral-rich but unrest-prone Balochistan region, which has long been home to a separatist insurgency. Although no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, the Pakistan military has accused Indian proxies of orchestrating the bombing. In a statement issued shortly after the incident, the army described the attack as a cowardly act against innocent schoolchildren.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs swiftly rejected the allegations, labeling them “baseless” and accusing Pakistan of deflecting attention from its own internal failings. In a statement shared with CNN, India condemned the loss of life but asserted that Islamabad often blames New Delhi to avoid accountability for its security lapses and links with terrorism.

This war of words comes amid heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors following a recent four-day conflict over a massacre in India-administered Kashmir, which India blamed on militants allegedly harbored by Pakistan. A fragile ceasefire has since held, but Wednesday’s bombing has rekindled diplomatic strain.

The latest attack follows a disturbing trend of violence against children in Pakistan, especially in regions plagued by militant extremism and separatist violence. Notably, in 2014, Pakistan suffered its deadliest terror attack when Pakistani Taliban militants killed 145 people, mostly schoolchildren, in a school massacre in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Earlier, in 2012, Malala Yousafzai, a 15-year-old schoolgirl and education activist, survived a targeted assassination attempt by Taliban gunmen while on her way to school.

Balochistan remains one of Pakistan’s most volatile provinces, despite repeated military operations and counter-insurgency campaigns. Just two months ago, the region was the site of another horrifying incident when Baloch separatists hijacked a train, taking over 350 passengers hostage and killing at least 27, including security personnel.

The latest bombing serves as a stark reminder of the region's ongoing instability, where militant groups regularly target government, military, and civilian infrastructure to push their demands for greater autonomy and control over local resources.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the bombing, echoing the military’s accusation that Indian elements were involved. He called the assault on children “cowardly and unforgivable,” vowing to bring the perpetrators to justice.

While Pakistan investigates the logistics of the attack, security has been tightened in Khuzdar and surrounding areas. Officials say raids are ongoing, and national counter-terror units have been deployed to track down the masterminds behind the bombing.