Western intelligence reports that roughly half of the artillery shells Russia uses in its war against Ukraine — about three million a year — are supplied by North Korea. About this writes edition of The Times.
The article notes that after the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Pyongyang, where he met with Kim Jong Un and signed a defense agreement, the Kremlin became dependent on North Korean arms supplies. Although a large proportion of the shells turn out to be defective, their mass quantity allows the Russian army to continue gradual offensives, such as the recent capture of Vugledar in eastern Ukraine.
The head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, warned in September that the massive supply of North Korean artillery could change the course of the war in favor of Russia. He emphasized that precisely because of the large volume of military products supplied by the DPRK, the intensity of hostilities is increasing significantly.
“The biggest problem of all of Russia’s allies is North Korea. Because of the amount of military products they supply, it actually affects the intensity of the fighting.”Budanov said.
At the beginning of the war, Russia’s international partners were hesitant to provide weapons, but now Putin’s efforts to build an anti-Western coalition are bearing fruit. In September, it became known about Iran’s delivery of 200 ballistic missiles to Russia, as well as China’s assistance in the construction of drones for long-term combat operations.
Despite these successes, Western analysts note that Russia is suffering significant losses, especially during the battles for Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region, where daily losses can reach up to 1,200 soldiers. The Russian military leadership also faces difficulties in holding positions near Kursk and simultaneously trying to capture Pokrovsk without conducting a large-scale mobilization, which Putin seeks to avoid due to fear of political consequences.
Western officials express doubts about the possibility of peace talks. Despite Donald Trump’s statement that a peace agreement might be reached if he wins the presidential election, analysts see no signs that Putin is ready to abandon his ambitions for Ukraine.
“We don’t see any signs that Putin is abandoning his main goal — subduing the sovereignty of Ukraine.”, – said one of the officials.
