On Tuesday, Russian President Putin began his visit to one of the key partners in the war against Ukraine – North Korea. The agenda includes Russia’s acute need for arms, but instead Kim Jong Un has prepared a long list of his own demands.
Official Version
Therefore, officially, Putin’s visit is a response to Kim Jong Un’s previous visit to Russia, which took place in the spring of 2023. According to protocol, this is how it should be between partner countries. Back then, the two leaders visited the Russian space center “Vostochny.”
But it is worth noting one important aspect hidden from the eyes of those outside of politics: Putin accepted the invitation in response after six months, which is a clear signal of the increasing importance of bilateral relations. The reason is known to all: the war in Ukraine, which seems to be gaining momentum.
The Korean leader promised his unwavering support to the former communist fraternal state immediately after the full-scale attack. When Russia officially recognized Donetsk and Luhansk as states, North Korea was one of the first to support this decision. In reality, the merger of ideas and interests entered an active phase even after the annexation of Crimea.
Although both the Kremlin and Pyongyang officially deny providing military support to the Russian army, there is plenty of evidence that this does not correspond to the truth.
Is North Korean weaponry in Ukraine?
There have been no doubts about this for a long time. For example, in January, the Russian army used ammunition originating from North Korea to attack Kharkiv, as confirmed by experts from the British organization Conflict Armament Research. On the debris analyzed following the attack, there is even a manufacturing date, indicating that the transfer of weapons took place after February 24, 2022.
Volumes of Deliveries
If there is no doubt about the presence of North Korean weapons in Ukraine, the situation regarding the quantity of supplies is different: there is no exact data on this matter. Intelligence agencies from various countries around the world have fragmentary information:
- The US Military Intelligence reports receiving several dozen ballistic missiles from Russia. Data from May 2024 show that the Russian army actively uses the specific type of long-range ballistic missiles produced in North Korean factories. These missiles are consistently present in combat zones and beyond.
- At least three million units of artillery ammunition have been delivered. They currently serve as the backbone of Russian artillery units along all front lines.
- There is information about attempts to obtain anti-tank weapons and multiple launch rocket systems.
The close partnership in the field of armaments is due to the fact that North Korea’s defense industry complex largely relies on Soviet weapon systems. Essentially, it emerged and developed on this basis. Therefore, the weapons produced there closely match the existing arsenal of Russia, which has also seen little evolution since the Soviet era.
Transportation Methods
Various methods are used for mass deliveries to Pyongyang:
- Trains;
- Container ships;
- Aircraft.
Based on satellite images, it is known that four cargo ships regularly depart from the North Korean port of Rajin to a military port in eastern Siberia on the Danube River.
