North Korean arms boost: Russia's war campaign finds new supplier
Ukrainian media are sounding the alarm that North Korea is increasing weapons production for Russia. Currently, efforts primarily focus on producing and sending additional 152-mm calibre missiles to Moscow. How might these be used in the war in Ukraine?
North Korea has been supporting Russia for many months. Deliveries of weapons and ammunition intensified after Kim Jong Un visited Russia in September 2023. In exchange for helping Moscow, Pyongyang hopes to obtain additional funds for the development of its nuclear and missile programs.
More 152-mm caliber missiles for Russia
The Ukrainian Defense Express service, specializing in military topics, points to reports from Asia about changes introduced in North Korean weapons and ammunition factories. In some, additional production lines have been created, while priorities are being changed in others. A cited example is the armament plant in Hyesan, which previously produced mortar mines and is now used to produce 152-mm calibre missiles. The information suggests that the plant has priority in electricity supplies, even at the expense of neighbouring cities. Raw materials needed for production are to be sourced from China.
This level of determination shows how important 152-mm calibre missiles are for the Russian troops fighting in Ukraine. They are used in various artillery systems, including 2S3 Akatsiya, 2S5 Giatsint, and 2S19 Msta, which can hit targets up to approximately 18 km to even 30 km away. These types of missiles in standard versions typically contain about 8 kg of TNT.
Changes were also noted at the armament plant in Samjiyon. It has so far been primarily dedicated to producing ammunition for small arms and now also focuses on 152-mm calibre missiles.
Additional support from North Korea for Russia
According to previous information published by Ukrainians and U.S. and South Korean intelligence, besides the 152-mm calibre missiles from North Korea, other reinforcements are also reaching the front. These include 130-mm calibre missiles and even KN-23 ballistic missiles characterized by very high explosive power. They measure 8 metres in length and 1 metre in diameter. They weigh 3,400 kg, of which about 500 kg are assigned to warheads. The range of KN-23 ballistic missiles reaches up to 600 km. An example of the explosive power of this weapon was given by an attack carried out by Russians in the Kyiv region.
It is no longer a secret that North Korea also helps Moscow recover old tanks from storage. It sends the necessary spare parts, enabling the Russians to modernize machines such as the T-62M or T-55.
