North Korea sent containers presumably to Russia that could contain as many as more than 6 million artillery shells, Yonhap reported on Aug. 27, citing a South Korean military intelligence report.
With Russian ammunition stocks running low due to extensive use in Ukraine, North Korea has been shaping up as Russia's leading outside weapons supplier.
Seoul spotted over 13,000 containers being shipped through the North Korean port of Najin since mid-2022, Seoul said. They could have been used to transport arms intended for Russia, according to the agency.
Shin Won-sik, South Korean defense minister, said in June that Pyongyang also sent dozens of ballistic missiles that Moscow troops launch against Ukraine.
Both Kyiv and Washington have previously said that Russia has been using North Korean-produced missiles to attack Ukraine. In March, Ukrainian prosecutors reported that Russia had fired around 50 such missiles to attack six Ukrainian oblasts since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
In exchange for the ammunition, Russia reportedly provided North Korea with technology to help it deploy spy satellites as well as tanks and aircraft.
In late June, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Pyongyang, where he signed a partnership agreement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, which pledged to provide aid to one another if either will be attacked.
Yoon Young-kwan
