A probe conducted by Reuters along with the Open Source Centre (OSC) indicates that North Korea has provided Russia with around 5.8 million cartridges so far. Russian forces battling in Ukraine have become nearly entirely reliant on these munitions from Pyongyang for their artillery needs.
The OSC is an independent British research body focused mainly on security matters. Their extensive probe spanned over 20 months, covering the period from September 2023 to March 2025. During this time, they monitored 64 consignments comprising almost 16,000 shipping containers dispatched from North Korea to Russia.
The massive scope of assistance provided to Russia
In its reported findings, Reuters details the specific path of the weapons shipment. Four vessels bearing the Russian flag—the Angara, Maria, Maia-1, and Lady R—transported weaponry from North Korea to destinations in Russia’s Far Eastern region. Subsequently, this freight was moved via railway to multiple munitions storage facilities close to Ukraine.
Russia relies on imports from North Korea.
Assistance from North Korea to Russia primarily consists of mortar shells and artillery shells in calibers of 4.8 inches and 6 inches (122 mm and 152 mm). These weapons are vital for Putin’s forces. Known as the “queen of battles,” artillery has been particularly significant alongside drone usage throughout the conflict in Ukraine. The artillery shells in these specific sizes are crucial for utilizing many widely used Russian systems such as the 2S3 Akatsiya, 2S5 Giatsint, and 2S19 Msta.
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Reuters was able to examine nine Russian military documents detailing the usage and inventories of ammunition within artillery units. The contents of these papers underscore that Russian forces engaged in Ukraine have become largely reliant on provisions coming from Pyongyang. There are instances where North Korean artillery rounds comprise as much as 70% or higher of the overall stocks utilized, with certain days seeing an exclusive reliance at 100%.
Konrad Muzyka from the analytical firm Rochan Consulting believes that since late 2023, Russia has been able to maintain the intensity of its attacks thanks to assistance from North Korea. “It allowed the Russians to maintain an offensive posture and constant pressure on Ukrainian forces throughout most of 2024 into 2025,” he stated, as quoted by Reuters.
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In addition to mortar and artillery shells, North Korea also sent Russia, albeit in smaller quantities, ballistic missiles (KN-23), multiple rocket launcher systems, and about 120 Koksan M-1989 and Koksan M-1978 artillery pieces. Initially, these were used exclusively in the Kursk region in Russia, but recently the Russians have also employed them in occupied territories in Ukraine.
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