North Korea's million artillery ammo support to Russia stirs concerns, despite quality woes
"The primary ammunition being shipped from North Korea comprises cal. 122 mm and cal. 152 mm. As per our estimates, we're looking at about a million such artillery ammunitions that have already been supplied to Russia. This exactly makes up for the deficit Moscow is grappling with, a gap that they are unable to fill with their own production," Skibitsky informed RBC-Ukraine in an interview.
11:03 AM EST, January 15, 2024
The American intelligence community and experts from the British Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) had previously predicted that Russia would reach out to Pyongyang specifically for 122mm and 152mm caliber shells. They are required in large quantities, given their applicability in numerous artillery systems that Putin's army extensively uses. The list includes, but isn't limited to, BM-21 "Grad" launchers, and artillery systems like 2S3 Akatsiya, 2S5 Giatsint, and 2S19 Msta.
Vadym Skibitsky also offered his remarks on a recent statement from the White House. According to them, the Russian Federation has even used twice the ballistic missiles that they received from North Korea against Ukraine. "We're consolidating all the information we've accumulated till now. If the facts hold up, we would certainly discuss it," he stated. These missiles may have a range of up to approximately 560 miles.
The support from North Korea allows the Russians to attack more frequently, though the efficacy of these attacks hasn't always been satisfactory to the aggressors. Lately, they have been lamenting the poor quality of the powder used in the North Korean shells. As reported by The Moscow Times, Russian artillerymen estimated that shells from North Korea have almost half the range of ammunition produced domestically in Russia.
