N. Korea meets up to 40% of Russia's artillery shell demand, Ukrainian intelligence says

North Korea is supplying up to 40 percent of Russia's artillery shell demand for its war against Ukraine, according to Ukrainian military intelligence.

Kyiv Post reported Wednesday, citing Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), that North Korea is currently meeting between 25 and 40 percent of Russia's artillery ammunition needs.

According to HUR, North Korea has supplied Russia with at least 100 ballistic missiles, more than 600 artillery systems and over 7 million artillery shells since June 2023.

HUR told the outlet that the scale of North Korea's support and the regularity of its deliveries show that military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow has developed systematically.

The directorate assessed that North Korea holds a "key position" among foreign suppliers delivering weapons and military equipment to Russia.

According to HUR, Russia has received more than 100 KN-23 and KN-24 ballistic missiles and their launchers from North Korea since June 2023, of which at least 80 have already been deployed on the Ukrainian front.

Russia first used North Korean ballistic missiles on Dec. 29, 2023, when one struck a field in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region. North Korean missiles were also used in a large-scale airstrike on Kharkiv on Jan. 2, 2024, killing two civilians and wounding 62.

A report from last year assessed that missile accuracy had improved as the war progressed.

North Korea has provided Russia with more than 600 artillery systems, including the M-1989 Koksan 170mm self-propelled gun, the M-1991 240mm multiple launch rocket system (MLRS), the 107mm Type 63 rocket launcher, a self-propelled anti-tank missile system, the D-74 122mm towed howitzer and the Type 76 140mm mortar.

HUR assessed that North Korea has supplied a total of more than 7 million rounds of ammunition, including mortars ranging from 82mm to 240mm, tank and rocket ammunition, and anti-tank guided missiles.

Based on this, North Korea's shell production capacity is estimated at 1 million to 2 million rounds per year, or at least 30,000 to 50,000 rounds per month.

HUR said that "if a political decision is made, a significant portion of this output could be supplied to Russia." However, despite extensive military cooperation between the two countries, no signs have emerged that Russia is using advanced North Korean components in the production of drones or missile systems.

North Korea is estimated to have earned tens of billions of dollars from weapons sales to Russia.

North Korea has deployed more than 15,000 troops to Russia's front lines against Ukraine, of whom roughly one-third are believed to have been killed or wounded.

Through weapons sales and troop deployments to Russia, North Korea has secured energy supplies and construction materials, fueling a nationwide construction boom, foreign media have reported.

According to the Wall Street Journal, North Korea's economy grew nearly 4 percent in 2024 — after it began providing military support to Russia — its fastest growth rate in eight years.

That economic growth has transformed daily life in Pyongyang. Last year, 10,000 new housing units were built in the capital. QR code payment systems were introduced, Chinese electric vehicles began appearing on the streets, and pet shops and gaming cafes reportedly opened.