Half of the shells Russia uses on the front come from North Korea, The Times

Half of the shells Russia uses on the front came from North Korea, says The Times Vladislav Kravtsov

DPRK supplies Russia with half of its annual used shell stock/Collage 24 ChannelMore interesting audio newsListen00:0000:421.25×1.25xAudio synthesized using AI.More Audio NewsTurn off

Russia uses about 3 million shells a year at the front. Half of them came to the aggressor country from North Korea.

This was reported in The Times, citing sources in Western intelligence. It also shows Russia's dependence on supplies from the DPRK.

What is known about Russia's shell supplies from the DPRK

According to Western intelligence sources cited by the publication, Russia has increasingly come to rely on supplies from North Korea since Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Pyongyang earlier this year.

Western intelligence reports indicate that while many North Korean missiles may be defective, their significant numbers have allowed Russia to maintain consistent success on the battlefield.

The Times' source noted that Russia is suffering significant losses in Ukraine, with around 1,200 troops killed daily. Of these, about 480 servicemen were killed in battles near the city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region.

According to Western intelligence, Russia is not yet able to simultaneously ensure control over Pokrovsk and oust Ukrainian troops from the Kursk region without mass mobilization. However, the Russian authorities have not yet decided to take this step.

We do not see any signs that Putin is retreating from his main goal – the conquest of Ukraine's sovereignty. I do not see any prospects for negotiations in the near future, – the source added.

By the way, the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense Kirill Budanov noted that the situation due to the supply of artillery ammunition from the DPRK to Russia is critical. After all, the volumes of military products that a country supplies really influence the intensity of military operations.