North Korea's growing arsenal fuels Russia amid Ukraine's struggle
In an interview with Lex Fridman, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky compared the aid given to Russia by North Korea to the support that Ukraine receives from its allies. The numbers for deliveries such as artillery ammunition are alarming for the West. Pyongyang's support for Moscow has also drawn the concern of U.S. intelligence.
During the conversation with the American podcaster, several issues related to the ongoing war were discussed. Zelensky noted that support from North Korea for Russia keeps increasing, leading to several thousand North Korean soldiers being sent to the Kursk region, which is under attack by Ukrainians, by the end of 2024. The President of Ukraine stated he does not expect similar moves from NATO, but the situation could be improved regarding assistance related to weapons and ammunition transfers.
They give Russia more than all of Europe gives Ukraine
Zelensky mentioned that in 2024, European allies provided Ukraine with about 1 million 155 mm artillery shells. Even when adding the shells produced in Ukraine, this was not enough to match what North Korea offered Russia; over the past year, North Korea supplied about 3.7 million artillery shells to Putin's army.
Moreover, European assistance with 155 mm artillery ammunition was delayed. In 2023, the EU promised to deliver 1 million such shells to Ukraine by spring 2024. However, due to production problems, only half arrived by then, and the full amount was only delivered by November 2024. Some allies still have not fulfilled their commitments regarding the Patriot systems promised to Ukraine at the NATO summit in Washington in July 2024.
Increasing support for Russia
155 mm shells are crucial for the Ukrainian army because they are used in NATO artillery systems, many of which have been sent to the front to support the defenders' army. This includes, among others, Krab self-propelled gun-howitzers from Poland, CAESAR from France, and Panzerhaubitze 2000 (PzH 2000) from Germany. For the Russians, however, the most important are the 122 mm and 152 mm calibre shells, which is precisely the support Pyongyang provides to Moscow.
In the initial months of the war in Ukraine, Russia's biggest ally primarily supplied ammunition, but support systematically increased in the following months. As a result, in 2024, it included soldiers being sent to the Kursk region and heavy military equipment.
According to U.S. intelligence data, North Korea has already delivered over 100 different types of artillery systems to Russia, including multiple rocket launchers and M1989 "Koksan" systems, which use 170 mm calibre guns. The technical condition of the equipment is unknown, but according to official data, the M1989 "Koksan" can hit targets up to approximately 50 km away.
