North Korean arms aid vital for Russia amid outdated arsenal
The head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service (SZRU), Oleh Ivashchenko, discussed the support Moscow is receiving from Pyongyang in an interview with the Ukrinform agency. According to him, this assistance is crucial for enabling Putin's army to continue its war with Ukraine.
For months, Moscow has relied on deliveries of ammunition and heavy equipment, along with several thousand troops from Kim Jong Un's army, who have been deployed in battles in the Kursk region.
Massive support for Russia
Ivashchenko stated that since the beginning of the full-scale war, over six million North Korean artillery shells have been delivered to Russia. These include 122 mm and 152 mm caliber shells, essential for the operation of popular Russian artillery systems such as the 2S3 Akatsiya, 2S5 Giatsint, and 2S19 Msta.
Moreover, Ivashchenko highlighted that North Korea has been supplying Russia with heavy military equipment for months. This includes M1991 multiple rocket launchers with a 240 mm caliber and Koksan self-propelled artillery systems with a 170 mm caliber. Approximately 120 units of each of these weapons have likely reached the front lines. Initially, they were operated by North Korean soldiers, but by May, the first recordings emerged showing Koksan artillery systems being operated by Russians.
They don’t support Russia selflessly
When asked about the motivations behind North Korea's support, Ivashchenko suggested that this assistance comes at a cost to Russia.
"They provide them with missile and space technologies. We do not rule out that these could also include technologies related to nuclear weapons or their improvement," the head of SZRU commented.
Is Russian equipment mostly Soviet-era scrap?
Russia seems to be striving to boost its supplies of military equipment. Ivashchenko mentioned that currently, "80% of their military equipment is old, with reduced capabilities. It has been taken from storage, repaired, and sent to the front."
These are reserves pulled from storage, repaired, and sent to the front. According to information from SZRU, only 20% of the Russian equipment being used in Ukraine consists of newer generation systems. This is confirmed by analysts involved in open-source intelligence, who have observed for months that Soviet-era equipment bases are systematically being depleted.
