North Korea has supplied Russia with an estimated 4 to 6 million artillery shells over the past 20 months, significantly bolstering Moscow’s capacity to sustain its war effort in Ukraine, according to a detailed investigation by Reuters in collaboration with the UK-based Open Source Centre (OSC).
The report, published on Wednesday, draws on satellite tracking, customs data, shipping records, and open-source intelligence, outlining an extensive logistical operation involving both maritime and rail transport from North Korea to Russia. These shipments have contributed materially to Russia’s artillery stockpiles, with evidence suggesting that North Korean munitions have been in regular use on the battlefield.
Systematic Shipments via Russian Ports
Between September 2023 and March 2025, analysts identified 64 voyages made by four Russian-flagged cargo vessels – Angara, Maria, Maia-1, and Lady R – between the North Korean port of Rajin and the Russian ports of Vostochny and Dunay. These voyages transported approximately 16,000 containers, believed to contain artillery shells and other munitions.
Although the exact contents of each container could not be independently verified, OSC analysts developed a conservative estimate of 4 to 6 million artillery shells based on Ukrainian assessments of standard packing densities and cargo capacity.
Beyond standard artillery rounds, the shipments are also believed to include multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), self-propelled artillery pieces, and short-range ballistic missiles.
North Korean Munitions in Use Along Frontlines
Ukrainian and Western intelligence sources report that North Korean ammunition has been used extensively by Russian forces, particularly along the Zaporizhzhia front. Daily reports from Russian artillery units, reviewed by Reuters, indicate that up to 100% of the shells fired on certain days were of North Korean origin. In other cases, the proportion ranged between 50 and 75%.
One unit operating in southeastern Ukraine reported that nearly half of its D-20 howitzer shells and all of its 122mm rockets were manufactured in North Korea.
According to Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR), the majority of these deliveries comprise 122mm and 152mm shells – calibres forming the backbone of the Russian army’s artillery operations.
Strategic Importance of Supply Chain
Hugh Griffiths, former coordinator of the UN Panel of Experts on North Korean sanctions, described the shipments as “strategically significant”, noting that “without Kim Jong-un’s backing, President Putin would not have been able to maintain his campaign in Ukraine at this scale.”
Both Russia and North Korea are under extensive international sanctions. Their growing cooperation has raised renewed concerns in Western capitals about the emergence of an alternative military supply chain designed to circumvent export controls and embargoes.
Western and Ukrainian Assessments of Russian Production
In 2024, Russian domestic production of artillery ammunition was estimated at between 2 and 2.3 million shells, according to Ukrainian and Western officials. The addition of North Korean supplies has likely doubled Russia’s available inventory.
General Christopher Cavoli, commander of United States European Command, told lawmakers on 3 April that he expects Russia to increase its annual production to approximately 3 million shells. Even with such output, external sources of supply are considered essential for sustaining the intensity of Russian artillery operations.
The use of foreign-supplied ammunition also allows Russia to redirect its own production for strategic reserve or distribution to newly mobilised units.
Implications for Sanctions and International Security
The scale and consistency of these transfers indicate a deepening military partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang, one that is increasingly resistant to traditional sanctions mechanisms. The shipments constitute a breach of multiple UN Security Council resolutions that prohibit the export of arms from North Korea.
So far, there has been no public indication of direct Western interdiction efforts. However, the findings are expected to prompt further debate among G7 and NATO countries over enforcement strategies and the viability of existing sanctions regimes.
Neither the Russian nor North Korean governments have officially acknowledged the shipments. Kremlin officials have consistently denied foreign military imports, while North Korea has remained silent on reports of arms exports since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
The investigation underscores the international dimension of the war in Ukraine and the evolving geopolitical alliances that sustain it. With North Korea now emerging as a primary source of ammunition for Russian forces, attention is likely to shift towards potential responses from the UN Security Council and regional actors in East Asia.
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