North Korean firepower keeps Russian war machine rolling
The Russian capacity to continue waging war in Ukraine is largely attributed to the support from North Korea. Here's how Kim Jong Un's regime is aiding Russia.
5:09 PM EDT, October 25, 2024
The war in Ukraine has led to the consumption of an enormous amount of ammunition. In this conflict, where both sides can monitor the situation several miles behind enemy lines using drones, artillery and aviation play a crucial role.
Artillery demands a continuous supply of shells, and during the most intense periods, the daily demand can exceed 10,000 shells. No country in the world can produce such a volume, and even the large ammunition stocks Russia inherited after the collapse of the USSR have been depleted over time.
Meanwhile, Ukraine receives ammunition from Western nations, often purchasing additional supplies from unexpected sources such as pro-Russian Serbia or neutral countries like India. According to Bloomberg, Russia currently fulfills 60% of its ammunition needs with supplies from North Korea, while its local production accounts for just 30%.
Iran is Russia's second foreign supplier, and it appears to be leveraging the situation to make a profit. Iran reportedly delivers only 10% of Russia's needs and, like the Shahed drones, demands payment in gold or modern air defense systems it cannot produce itself.
Bloomberg's estimates indicate that Russia has received from North Korea 8 million shells and rockets, including 122 mm and 152 mm caliber shells, along with a hundred KN-23 / Hwasong-11 ballistic missiles and Bulsae anti-tank systems. Bulsae.
Ammunition from North Korea — the only supplier with terrible quality
The 122 mm and 152 mm caliber ammunition are standard in both Russia and North Korea, so maintaining production parameters should not present usage problems. Barrel artillery of this caliber allows targeting distances of up to 9 miles, or about 12 miles with the most common Russian systems like the 2S1 Gvozdika or 2S3 Akatsiya. Depending on the type of rocket, the range of 122 mm caliber rockets for BM-21 Grad systems is between 12 and 25 miles.
Moreover, North Korea also provides Russia with 130 mm caliber shells, which, when used in field guns like the M-46, enable firing distances up to 17 miles for the cheapest shells and up to 24 miles for shells with a Chinese-designed ERFB base bleed gas generator. However, according to Russian sources, the quality of North Korean ammunition is reportedly very low, and it often leads to accidents.
On the other hand, the KN-23 ballistic missiles are solid-fuel designs conceptually similar to the Iskander-M. The precise range is unknown, but estimates suggest it exceeds 373 miles while carrying a powerful 1100-pound warhead. Guidance is likely based on inertial navigation possibly aided by satellite.
Interestingly, these missiles are manufactured using components such as bearings found in Toyota cars, but their quality is not high. There have been instances where they exploded in flight over Ukraine long before reaching the intended target. Nonetheless, they pose a significant threat because Ukraine lacks sufficient weapons capable of countering ballistic missiles, such as the Patriot, SAMP/T, and, with certain limitations, the MIM-23 HAWK.
