North Korea has provided Russia with 50 domestically produced self-propelled howitzers and 20 multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), the Financial Times (FT) reported on Nov. 16, citing a Ukrainian intelligence assessment.
The additional support by Pyongyang come as 11,000 North Korean troops are amassing in Russia's Kursk Oblast, training alongside Russian troops in its fight against Ukraine.
A Pentagon spokesperson said on Nov. 13 that some North Korean troops have already been deployed to fight along Russian forces.
According to FT, some of the delivered weapons have been moved to Kursk Oblast to assist in Russia's effort to regain control of the territory it lost to Ukrainian forces earlier this year. The weapons include North Korean-made 170mm M1989 self-propelled howitzers as well as updated 240mm MLRS systems.
The reliability of North Korean-made weapons has previously come into question, with reports by South Korea's intelligence agency that Pyongyang previously sent weapons made in the 1970s to Moscow.
With Russia's military stocks running low and domestic production capacity simultaneously hampered by Western sanctions, North Korea has been shaping up as Russia's leading weapons supplier, providing Moscow with extensive military packages
North Korea has previously provided Russia with as many as 4.8 million artillery shells, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said in June.
Both Kyiv and Washington have previously said that Russia has been using North Korean-produced missiles to attack Ukraine. In March of this year, Ukrainian prosecutors reported that Russia had fired around 50 such missiles to attack six Ukrainian oblasts since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
Increased military support by Pyongyang started rolling into Russia after the signing of an agreement in June during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the North Korean capital. The agreement pledged to provide each other aid if either country is attacked, in addition to other military and humanitarian support.
On Nov. 12, North Korea formalized the mutual defense treaty with Russia, while Russian lawmakers unanimously approved the treaty last week, and President Vladimir Putin signed it into law the week prior.
As alliances between Russia and North Korea continue to deepen, South Korean relations with Ukraine also continue to grow.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said at a press conference on Nov. 7. that the country does not rule out providing arms to Ukraine. South Korea has previously provided Ukraine with humanitarian and non-lethal aid but refused to provide weapons, citing legislative restrictions.
Dmytro Basmat
(Updated: )
