North Korea boosts Russia's artillery might, fueling Ukraine conflict
Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR), addressed the support Russia is receiving from North Korea. He described Kim Jong-Un's regime as Putin's biggest ally, supplying crucial ammunition that enables Russian military actions in Ukraine.
Budanov believes that North Korea's support is unmatched by any other country siding with and cooperating with Russia. From the perspective of Ukrainians, the biggest problem is the large-scale supply of ammunition, mainly artillery shells.
Russia's biggest ally delivers priceless ammunition
This mainly concerns 4.8-inch caliber shells (containing up to 8 pounds of TNT) and 6-inch caliber shells (up to 18 pounds of TNT), which are the main arsenal for many Russian artillery systems.
While 4.8-inch howitzers generally have a range of up to 9 miles (such as in the 2S1 Gvozdika system), 6-inch howitzers can have a range of up to around 12 miles (such as in the 2S3 Akatsiya system), and that’s only with the simplest tail-chopped shells. By using rocket-assisted ammunition, the Russians can increase the range, but it’s unclear if Pyongyang can also provide ample supplies of such shells.
"After Pyongyang, there's no one for a long time, and then there are all the others. As the chief of intelligence, I can say directly: the fact that they are supplying ballistic missiles is unpleasant for us, but these are not in significant quantities. When it comes to ammunition, it is crucial for us. That's a sad truth," emphasized Budanov, quoted by the Unian agency.
North Korea's increasingly dangerous arsenal for Russia
In August, the South Korean portal Yonhap News TV, citing a report disclosed by a member of their National Defense Commission, reported that since mid-2022, North Korea has sent over 13,000 containers with approximately 6 million 6-inch artillery shells to Russia.
Cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang has significantly intensified during Russia's war with Ukraine. Since early 2024, North Korea has also been supporting its ally with short-range ballistic missiles, which have already been used to strike Ukraine. Based on the remnants of found missiles, Ukrainians estimated these to be KN-23 missiles (also known as Hwasong-11Ga) with warheads weighing up to 1,100 pounds. Their range can reach 373 miles.
