Russian invasion North Korea-Russia relations

Every other artillery shell sent from North Korea: “Strategically crucial”

North Korea has sent between four and six million artillery shells to Russia in the past 20 months, Reuters reports, citing analyses of traffic data between the countries, satellite images and Russian documents obtained by Ukraine.

Ukrainian sources say that about half of Russia’s artillery shells are North Korean, which is consistent with estimates from the independent British organization Open Source Centre.

Documents from the Russian military show that some units have only fired North Korean shells on certain days.

Hugh Griffiths, former coordinator of the UN panel of experts monitoring sanctions against North Korea, says that the country’s support is strategically crucial.

– Without Kim Jong Un’s support, Vladimir Putin would not be able to wage his war in Ukraine.

Expert: Russian reinforcements and US halt had an effect

North Korea's deliveries of artillery shells to Russia began around the same time that Republicans in the US Congress blocked a huge aid package for Ukraine in late 2023, Reuters reports.

Ukraine's forces came under considerable pressure, and in April 2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia was firing ten artillery shells for every Ukrainian. This power ratio is considered to have had a significant impact and has allowed Russia to slowly advance.

- This enabled the Russians to maintain an offensive posture and constant pressure on Ukrainian forces for most of 2024, says Konrad Muzyka, an analyst at Polish Rochan Consulting.