North Korea sends ammunition to Russia in return for food
- Dec 12, 2024
- 2 min read
By: Paul Kim
North Korea has sent around 6,700 containers to Russia, which could contain more than 3 million rounds of 152 mm artillery shells or more than 500,000 rounds of 122 mm rocket launchers. North Korean military factories are operating at full capacity to provide shipments to Russia when they would be running at about 30% capacity when producing weapons due to a shortage of raw materials and electricity. According to the US State Department, North Korea has delivered more than 10,000 containers of munition and other materials to Russia since September.
In exchange for these materials, Russia has shipped containers 30% larger than those shipped from Pyongyang to Moscow. These containers seem to contain food, materials, and parts used in manufacturing, food holding the largest proportion of these shipments. This has appeared to stabilize local food prices in North Korea.
The 3-year long war between Russia and Ukraine has come to a ‘stalemate’ since last year, according to Ukraine’s former top commander, General Valerii Zaluzhyni. The supply of ammunition will help Russia to sustain its efforts in its war of attrition against Ukraine and breaking the ‘stalemate’. The supply of ammunition is critical as Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Avdiivka was lost due to a lack of ammunition.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met Russian President Vladimir Putin back in September, and North Korea has delivered munitions to Russia during the same period. This relationship between these two countries seems to be getting closer, with North Korea sending over 1 million shells to Russia since last year and Russia reportedly assisting North Korea with the launch of their new spy satellite in November. Although North Korea is currently receiving food and raw materials, as they further their ties with Russia, they may look to seek technology from Russia to advance their satellite and nuclear capabilities in exchange for providing weaponry to use in the war.
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