South Korean intelligence believes that North Korea has sent over a million artillery shells to Russia to boost its war against Ukraine, the Associated Press reported on Nov. 1, citing a South Korean lawmaker who attended a closed-door briefing with intelligence officials.
The shells Moscow has received from Pyongyang via ships and other means of transport since early August amount to two months' worth of supplies, lawmaker Yoo Sang-bum, who sits in a parliamentary intelligence committee, said today with reference to the country's National Intelligence Service (NIS).
North Korea also reportedly sent its advisers to instruct Russian officials on the proper use of munitions, Bloomberg reported, citing Yoo.
In turn, Moscow will likely provide Pyongyang with technological assistance to help North Korea launch its first military reconnaissance satellite, Yoo quoted the NIS.
Russia's support could also extend to cooperation in conventional military capabilities, for example, by helping North Korea improve its aging aircraft, the lawmaker said.
The two countries have been growing closer in recent months as the Kremlin seeks to boost its arms capacities amid its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Russia's Amur Oblast in September, reportedly to discuss Moscow's support for Pyongyang's space and missile technology programs.
According to Washington, the talks also addressed North Korean military aid to bolster Russia's war against Ukraine. The White House later said that North Korea had already delivered over 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions by Oct. 13.
The U.S., Japan, and South Korea issued a joint statement on Oct. 25 condemning North Korea's provision of weapons to Russia.
Katie Marie Davies
