North Korea's artillery bolsters Russia as West lags on support
In an interview with Lex Fridman, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky compared North Korea's aid to Russia with the support Ukraine receives from its allies. The numbers of deliveries, such as artillery ammunition, are embarrassing for the West. Pyongyang's aid to Moscow is also a concern for U.S. intelligence.
During the conversation with the American podcaster, several issues related to the ongoing war were discussed. Zelensky highlighted that North Korea's support for Russia keeps growing, which has led to several thousand North Korean soldiers being sent to the Kursk region by the end of 2024. The President of Ukraine noted that he does not anticipate similar moves from NATO, but there is room for improvement in terms of weapon and ammunition transfers.
They give Russia more than all of Europe gives Ukraine
Zelensky's comments indicate that in 2024, European allies provided Ukraine with about 1 million 155 mm artillery shells. Even with the shells produced in Ukraine, it did not compare to what North Korea supplied to Russia, which totaled about 3.7 million artillery shells to Putin's army over the past 12 months.
Additionally, European support in terms of 155 mm artillery ammunition was delayed. In 2023, the EU promised to deliver 1 million shells by spring 2024. In reality, due to production issues, only half had arrived by then, with the target being met only in November 2024. Some allies have yet to fulfill their promises regarding Patriot systems made to Ukraine at the NATO summit in Washington in July 2024.
Increasing support for Russia
155 mm shells are crucial for the Ukrainian army as they are used in NATO artillery systems, many of which have been supplied to the front lines. This includes, among others, Krab self-propelled gun-howitzers from Poland, CAESAR from France, and Panzerhaubitze 2000 (PzH 2000) from Germany. For the Russians, however, the most important are the 122 mm and 152 mm caliber shells, which is precisely the support Pyongyang is providing to Moscow.
In the first months of the war in Ukraine, Russia's major ally mainly supplied it with ammunition, but in the following months, support systematically increased. By 2024, it included not only soldiers directed to the Kursk region but also heavy military equipment.
According to U.S. intelligence data, North Korea has already delivered over 100 different types of artillery systems to Russia, including multiple rocket launchers and M1989 "Koksan" systems, which use 170 mm caliber guns. The technical condition of the equipment is unknown, but according to official data, the M1989 "Koksan" can hit targets approximately 31 miles away.
