New york: North Korea on Tuesday denounced a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting regarding Russia's recent air strike on Ukraine, defending Moscow's action as an exercise of the right to self-defense. Kim Song, North Korea's permanent representative to the U.N., issued a statement condemning the UNSC meeting held on Monday (New York time) after Russia launched a series of missile attacks on Ukraine last week.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the statement, carried by the Korean Central News Agency, described the UNSC meeting as part of a pattern by Western countries to unjustly criticize the self-defense measures of sovereign states. The North Korean envoy labeled Ukraine's military actions against Russia as a "terrorist act," referencing Moscow's earlier warnings of retaliation following Kyiv's drone attacks in early January.

"The terrorist act targeting the absolute sovereignty of a country can never be justified, and retaliation of justice can never be demonized by any assertion," Kim stated. North Korea has reportedly sent thousands of troops and weapons to support Russia's conflict with Ukraine, amid growing military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.