N. Korea supplying up to 40% of artillery shells used by Russian forces, Ukraine intel says

North Korea is currently supplying up to 40 percent of the artillery shells used by Russian forces, according to an analysis by Ukrainian military intelligence.

Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Directorate, known by its Ukrainian acronym HUR, said North Korea accounts for between 25 and 40 percent of Russia's artillery shell supply, according to the Kyiv Post, an English-language Ukrainian outlet, on Wednesday local time.

HUR assessed that North Korea has established itself as a key weapons supplier to Russia. According to HUR, North Korea has provided Russia with more than 100 KN-23 and KN-24 ballistic missiles, along with mobile launchers, since June 2023. At least 80 of those missiles have already been used on the Ukrainian battlefield, the directorate said.

The KN-23 and KN-24 are short-range ballistic missiles developed by North Korea that Russia has deployed in its attacks on Ukraine.

As the war continues, analysts have noted improvements in the accuracy of North Korean-made missiles. HUR assessed that military technology cooperation between the two countries has advanced from a one-off arrangement to a systematic one.

HUR estimated that North Korea's defense industry has the capacity to produce between 1 million and 2 million artillery shells per year. The directorate predicted that, should the North Korean leadership decide to do so, a significant portion of that output could be directed to Russia.

Despite the extensive military cooperation between the two countries, HUR said there are no confirmed signs that Russia is using advanced North Korean-made components in the production of drones or missiles.