(NewsNation) — U.S. officials say North Korea is covertly shipping weapons to Russia.

Sanctions have made it difficult for Russia to resupply itself and the country has had to reach out to allies for equipment to use in the war in Ukraine.

U.S. intelligence officials say North Korea is moving the shipments of artillery rounds through the Middle East and North Africa to disguise the true destination. It’s not clear if the weapons are actually reaching Russian troops.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. has “an idea” which country or countries the North may funnel the weapons through, but wouldn’t specify, because the administration continues to look at how it might respond to North Korea’s actions.

“We don’t believe that they are in such a quantity that they would change the direction of this war or tangibly change the momentum either in the east or in the south” where some of the heaviest fighting in Ukraine is taking place, Kirby said.

The Biden administration plans to bring the issue before the UN as it did when Iran was allegedly delivering weapons to Russia.

A State Department spokesperson said there are existing sanctions in effect, but there is a possibility of looking into additional measures to counter North Korea’s actions.

North Korea has also ramped up missile testing in recent weeks, escalating the brinksmanship that has been ongoing as the country seeks recognition as a nuclear power.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.