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Russia's inquiry into a North Korean missile
Summary
A look back at a day when Moscow said it would examine where a Hwasong-18 landed, days after Washington sanctioned a Serbian official.
What did Russia make of a North Korean missile that may have come down in its waters? On 15 July 2023, Russia announced that it would investigate whether the Hwasong-18 missile had landed in the country's exclusive economic zone.
The announcement placed the missile launch within the bilateral relationship between Moscow and Pyongyang. Russia framed its response as an inquiry into where the missile had come down, rather than as a reaction to the launch itself.
Sanctions on a Serbian official
A few days earlier, on 12 July 2023, the United States imposed sanctions on Aleksandar Vulin, a top Serbian official considered "Moscow's man". The step marked a moment in relations between Washington and Belgrade.
The two developments were separate, but both involved Russia and its relationships with other states in the days around 15 July 2023.
