North Korea ramps up weapons production to aid russian war effort

Ukrainian media are raising the alarm that North Korea is increasing weapons production for Russia. Currently, efforts primarily focus on producing and sending additional 6-inch caliber missiles to Moscow. How might these be used in the war in Ukraine?

North Korea has been supporting Russia for many months. Deliveries of weapons and ammunition intensified after Kim Jong Un visited Russia in September 2023. In exchange for helping Moscow, Pyongyang hopes to obtain additional funds for developing its nuclear and missile programs.

The Ukrainian Defense Express service, specializing in military topics, points to reports from Asia describing changes introduced in North Korean weapons and ammunition factories. In some of these factories, additional production lines have been created, while in others, priorities have shifted. A cited example is the armament plant in Hyesan, which previously produced mortar mines and is now used to produce 6-inch caliber missiles. The information suggests that the plant has priority in electricity supplies, even at the expense of neighboring cities. Raw materials needed for production are reportedly sourced from China.

This level of determination shows how important 6-inch caliber missiles are for the Russian troops fighting in Ukraine. They are used in various artillery systems, including 2S3 Akatsiya, 2S5 Giatsint, and 2S19 Msta. These systems can hit targets approximately 11 miles to even 18 miles away. These types of missiles in standard versions typically contain about 18 pounds of TNT.

Changes have also been noted at the armament plant in Samjiyon. It has primarily been dedicated to producing ammunition for small arms and now also focuses on making 6-inch caliber missiles.

According to previous information published by Ukrainians and U.S. and South Korean intelligence, besides the 6-inch caliber missiles from North Korea, other reinforcements have also reached the front. These include 5-inch caliber missiles and even KN-23 ballistic missiles characterized by very high explosive power. They measure 25 feet in length and 3 feet in diameter. They weigh 7,500 pounds, of which about 1,100 pounds are assigned to warheads. The range of KN-23 ballistic missiles reaches up to 373 miles. An attack by Russians in the Kyiv region illustrated an example of the explosive power of this weapon.

It is no longer a secret that North Korea also helps Moscow recover old tanks from storage. It sends the necessary spare parts, enabling the Russians to modernize machines such as the T-62M or T-55.