The North Korean leader’s powerful sister Kim Yo Jong denied Pyongyang is selling arms to Russia on Friday, claiming recent advances in armaments production only aim to bolster national defense despite clear evidence of weapons shipments for use against Ukraine.

“Hostile forces are misleading the public opinion with a false rumor that the weapon systems produced by the DPRK are ‘for export to Russia,’” Kim said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Friday.