North Korea’s shipments of weapons to Russia are the “worst problem” that Ukraine currently faces, Kyiv’s military intelligence chief said Saturday, identifying Pyongyang as the leading arms supplier supporting Moscow’s invasion.
Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, made the assessment of the DPRK’s strategic importance just days after a top Russian official held talks with Kim Jong Un to further advance security cooperation.
“The worst problem we are facing now is the one that comes from North Korea, because the military equipment and weaponry that they provide for [the war against] Ukraine really make a difference at the front line,” he said at the Yalta European Strategy forum on Saturday.
Budanov said the volumes of weapons exported by the DPRK far exceed supplies from other countries like Iran and China and directly impact Russian offensives.
“As soon as North Korean shipments come to Russia, some seven to nine days down the road the hostilities get intensified for a couple of weeks at the minimum,” he explained.
The spy chief added that the large quantity of regular munitions supplied by Pyongyang poses a greater challenge for Ukrainian forces than DPRK-made missiles.
Shin Seung-ki, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA), said Russia is likely to place greater emphasis on North Korea for munitions supplies as it has mass-produced, operated and stockpiled Soviet-derived weapons for decades.
“Russia appears to rely heavily on North Korea because it is a pro-Russian country that can quickly and easily provide various weapons systems, such as shells, that can be used in large quantities in a short period of time with minimal modifications or adjustments from the viewpoint of interoperability,” he told NK News.
Although Budanov downplayed the impact of North Korean missiles, Shin said Russia would take advantage of the similarities between its own projectiles and the DPRK’s recent short-range ballistic missiles like the KN-23 (Hwasong-11A), which bears strong similarities to the Russian Iskander.
Footage showing what appear to be DPRK-made 122mm Grad MLRS rockets being used by Russian forces in Ukraine | Image: Russian defense ministry Telegram (Dec. 5, 2023)
Budanov’s comments came a day after Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu paid a one-day visit to North Korea for talks with Kim Jong Un, underscoring the two countries’ close alignment on military matters.
Kim and Shoigu discussed further efforts to strengthen cooperation to defend “mutual security interests” and advance the two countries’ “strategic dialogue,” North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Saturday.
The North Korean leader also affirmed Pyongyang’s keenness to further expand “cooperation and collaboration” in various fields with Moscow in line with the two countries’ Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signed in June.
As Kim saw the Russian official off, he reportedly wished for the “victory” of the Russian people, reiterating his recent support for Vladimir Putin’s war efforts.
KCNA did not report details of the security cooperation talks, but KIDA’s Shin said the two sides would have prioritized existing weapons supplies while turning their eye to emerging capabilities.
“It seems likely that [Russia] requested the continued large-scale supply of key tactical missiles and shells most needed on the battlefield, and may have also requested the supply of drones, which are recognized as effective combat tools,” he said.
North Korea recently unveiled new suicide drones seemingly inspired by Israeli weapons, adding to an unmanned aerial vehicle program that already boasts surveillance and combat drones that appear to be copycats of U.S. models.
Experts previously told NK Pro that Pyongyang may look to sell the new suicide drones to Russia, which has made extensive use of Russian and Iranian models against Ukraine. However, the North Korean drones are still in development and do not appear to be ready for export yet.
Shoigu’s visit came the same day North Korean media published images of a uranium enrichment plant for the first time.
The rare glimpse of North Korea’s secret nuclear facilities showcased the continued progress of its nuclear program, and some experts suggested after the reveal that Russia may have helped supply technology and materials to the isolated regime.
Source: NKNews
