North Korea has halved its shell supplies to Russia this year, mostly transferring outdated ammunition due to the depletion of its own stocks. At the same time, the country has started mass production of FPV drones.
This year, North Korea more than halved its supply of shells to Russia, mostly supplying outdated ammunition due to the depletion of its own reserves. At the same time, the country began mass production of FPV drones. This was stated by the Deputy Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Vadym Skibitsky, in an interview with Reuters, as reported by UNN.
Details
Millions of artillery shells from North Korea allowed Russia to maintain a high intensity of shelling in 2024, however, according to Skibitsky, this year their supply has more than halved due to the depletion of Pyongyang's reserves.
The Deputy Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate reported that since 2023, North Korea has supplied a total of 6.5 million artillery shells to Russia, taking advantage of the opportunity to deepen cooperation with the Kremlin after the invasion of Ukraine.
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He noted that no shell supplies were recorded in September, while some supplies were recorded in October, and approximately half of the ammunition turned out to be so old that it had to be sent to Russian factories for modernization.
Skibitsky added that North Korea has begun mass production of small, short-range FPV drones and larger, medium-range drones for combat operations on its own territory, although he did not specify the exact scale of production.
They are learning, they are studying their experience (in this war) to expand production on their own territory
– said Vadym Skibitsky, Deputy Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
Reuters reminds that thousands of North Korean troops fought alongside Russian troops in Russia's Kursk region last year after Ukraine's special operation began, to try to ease pressure on its forces elsewhere and create leverage in peace talks.
North Korea has acknowledged its involvement in the events in Ukraine, claiming that its role helps maintain world peace in the face of aggression from the West, but it has not provided any details or responded to requests for comment on its involvement.
Participation of DPRK military in Russia's war against Ukraine
On April 28, 2025, North Korea officially confirmed for the first time the dispatch of its military to Russia to support the war against Ukraine. DPRK troops are participating in hostilities in the Kursk region. It is noted that the dispatch of DPRK troops was carried out on the "order" of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in accordance with the mutual defense treaty between Pyongyang and Moscow.
The leader of North Korea declared "unwavering" support for Russia in the war against Ukraine. He also announced the further development of the DPRK's nuclear forces in response to cooperation between the United States, Japan, and South Korea.
The DPRK earned up to $5.5 billion from supplying weapons to Russia and could receive $572 million annually for sending troops. In exchange, North Korea receives oil, food, and modern weapons.
Recall
South Korea reported the deployment of over 10,000 North Korean troops near the Russian-Ukrainian border, as well as the dispatch of engineers and builders to the Russian Federation. The DPRK officially confirmed the dispatch of troops to Russia to participate in the war against Ukraine, receiving oil, food, and weapons in exchange.
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