The US State Department has announced that it is imposing sanctions on three Russian entities and one individual that it says were involved in transferring ballistic missiles from North Korea.

The department said on Thursday that the subjects of the sanctions played a role in obtaining and testing North Korean missiles used in Moscow's invasion of Ukraine since November last year.

One of the entities is a state-run firm providing commercial air cargo transport services. The individual is an executive of this company.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that North Korea's "transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia supports Russia's war of aggression, increases the suffering of the Ukrainian people, and undermines the global nonproliferation regime."

The US, its allies and other nations have condemned Moscow for violating UN Security Council resolutions by receiving ballistic missiles from North Korea and using them against Ukraine.