North Korea sent over 12 million artillery shells to Russia

[Starmix]

According to South Korea’s military intelligence agencies, they have reported that North Korea may have delivered over 12 million 152mm artillery shells to Russia in support of its war against Ukraine. A report by the Defence Intelligence Agency shows information that North Korea has provided Russia with around 28,000 containers containing weapons and artillery ammunition."If calculated with 152 mm single shells, they are presumed to have reached more than 12 million," the Defense Intelligence Agency said. Last year, North Korea sent 11,000 soldiers to support Russia’s war in Ukraine, followed by an additional 3,000 this year. The troops supported Moscow’s counteroffensive in Kursk, a western Russian region where Kyiv troops launched a surprise incursion last August and suffered heavy casualties, according to reports. In late June, South Korea’s intelligence agency claimed that North Korea is likely to send more troops to Russia in the next two months. North Korea deployed thousands of soldiers to aid Russia in the Ukraine war following the signing of a strategic partnership treaty by leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Pyongyang in June 2024.

The report also said that in April, South Korea’s spy agency claimed that North Korea likely suffered 4,700 casualties while fighting alongside Russian forces in the Russia-Ukraine war, with 600 confirmed fatalities. Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov told Bloomberg that North Korea may now be covering as much as 40 per cent of Russia’s ammunition needs for the war. Budanov also confirmed that Pyongyang is providing other advanced weaponry, including ballistic missiles and artillery systems, which he described as good weapons. Russia and North Korea have been deepening bilateral ties amid international scrutiny. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Pyongyang last week and said North Korea has reaffirmed its ‘clear support’ for Russia’s war in Ukraine and the Kremlin’s leadership, reported South Korean news agency Yonhap. In return, Russia is reportedly providing North Korea with financial support and technology, helping Kim Jong Un’s regime to mitigate the effects of international isolation.

Watch the report via the link.