North Korea Sends Mass Munitions Shipments to Russian Military
South Korean citizens in Seoul watch a meeting between North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un and Russia’s Vladimir Putin in September. The two countries have deepened ties as of late. (Photo: AP News/Ahn Young-joon)
As Ukraine struggles to keep the world’s attention on its struggle against Russian forces, one country has seemingly continued to pay attention: North Korea.
On Thursday, South Korea’s military reported that the North has likely supplied Russian forces with a variety of munitions, including ballistic missiles, anti-tank weapons, and mortars. The announcement comes on the heels of assertions from the South’s National Intelligence Service that about one million artillery shells have also been sent, estimated to last Russia about two months on the battlefield. Officials claim that in return, North Korea has received assistance from Russia with its nascent space program, focused on spy satellites, and other military and nuclear capabilities, which North Korea has sought to expand following a U.S. intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test this week.
Representatives of both North Korea and Russia have denied these allegations, but the alleged shipments would be in line with the increasing cooperation and diplomatic engagement between the two nations. As Russia has been isolated by most of the Western global community following its invasion of Ukraine, it has increasingly cooperated with Pyongyang diplomatically and militarily. A Russian delegation, headed by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, visited North Korea in July, followed by a trip to Russia by North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un. The pair have also continued to develop ties with China, creating a rival alliance to that of Japan, South Korea, and the United States, which last week condemned the shipments.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui exchange signed versions of a 2024-5 cooperation plan. The image was distributed by state media, and cannot be verified. (Photo: KCNA/Uncredited)
South Korea’s assertions add specificity to independent reports showing increases in rail traffic between the two nations consistent with the described munitions shipments, as well as statements from the United States indicating the presence of shipments in the first place. North Korea also possesses large stores of Cold War-era shells and rockets, ammunition that would be consistent with Russian equipment. It is estimated that about 10 shipments have been made so far, with more possible.
The arms sales have the potential to bring Pyongyang hundreds of millions, or even billions, in desperately needed revenue. On Friday, the “hermit kingdom” confirmed that it is shuttering embassies in Uganda, Angola, and Spain, and a Hong Kong consulate due to difficulties continuing activities abroad. Media analysis has revealed that the closures may extend to a dozen diplomatic posts, representing about a quarter of the nation’s international presence. North Korean diplomats have been tied in several cases to activities such as money laundering and smuggling, leading to Western sanctions on personnel. When asked for comment on the closures, a DPRK spokesperson stated only that the nation is “carrying out operations to withdraw and establish diplomatic missions in accordance with changing global environments and national foreign policy.”
Ukrainian officials have sought to quell worries stemming from the deliveries. Citing North Korea’s 2020 firing of 2,400 shells at a deserted island, Ukraine’s former Aidar Battalion company commander Yevhen Dykyi told media that “4% of the shells fired actually exploded where they were supposed to…we get what kind of real help comrade Un was able to give comrade Putin.” Still, concerns have surfaced, especially given the European Union’s failure to meet its own commitment to provide Ukraine with a million shells per year. South Korea has also spoken out against such cooperation, fearing for its own security, while the United States has threatened increased sanctions.