Some Russian units rely on North Korean artillery shells for half or more of their daily use. This is quite a heavy reliance on North Korean munitions—and underscores the Kremlin’s dependence on foreign support to continue its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
Russia relies heavily on North Korea for its most important weapon in the Ukraine conflict: artillery.
Russian military doctrine has long regarded artillery as the “god” of the battlefield, and while Russian factories themselves have extraordinary output—on track to produce three million artillery shells during 2025—the Kremlin has also solicited millions of shells from Pyongyang, enabling it to continue its campaign in Ukraine.
Artillery Shells: From North Korea with Love
According to a joint report by Reuters and Open Source Center, starting in September 2023, Russia has received at least 16,000 containers carrying millions of artillery rounds from North Korea. Russian-flagged vessels travel to North Korea and return packed with munitions. Thereafter, the containers are loaded up on trains, which bring the artillery shells closer to the frontlines.
The Ukrainians estimate that Russia has received over three million artillery shells from North Korea so far. In comparison, Ukraine has received over 4.5 million artillery rounds of different calibers from the United States; other countries have sent additional munitions to Kyiv.
“Russia is reportedly heavily dependent on North Korean artillery ammunition as North Korea continues to learn lessons from Russia’s war against Ukraine,” the Institute for the Study of War assessed in its latest operational estimate on the Ukraine conflict.
Some Russian units rely on North Korean artillery shells for half or more of their daily use. This is quite a heavy reliance on North Korean munitions—and underscores the Kremlin’s dependence on foreign support to continue its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
From the first days of the conflict, artillery has been by far the most lethal weapon system on the battlefield. According to certain estimates, casualties on both sides from enemy artillery fire exceed 80 percent. Considering that the conflict’s total casualties exceed one million, one then concludes that more than 800,000 Russian and Ukrainian troops have been killed or maimed by artillery fire.
Russia Needs North Korea’s Help in Ukraine
But there is also the benefit to North Korea. This, after all, is a reciprocal relationship. In addition to artillery shells and armored vehicles, Pyongyang has sent troops to fight on behalf of Russia.
According to South Korean and Ukrainian intelligence estimates, the North Korean military has deployed approximately 15,000 men in Russia—composed of an initial force of 11,000 and 4,000 reinforcements. These troops have been fighting alongside Russian units in the Kursk Oblast, Russia, where the Ukrainian military has maintained a salient since August. Being unprepared for the rigors and challenges of a 21st-century battlefield, the initial North Korean contingent took heavy losses in just a few weeks of combat. Over 4,000 North Korean soldiers were killed or wounded. The losses were so high that the Russian military leadership had to pull the North Korean contingent off the line to ensure that it was not completely destroyed in the fighting.
But the North Koreans are also gaining valuable lessons from the fighting—and adjusting their tactics, techniques, and procedures. It is almost certain that the North Korean leadership took advantage of the Ukraine war to prepare its military for a future conflict closer to home.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Shutterstock / Dmytro Larin.
