Half of all the artillery shells used by Russia in Ukraine are supplied by North Korea, The Times reported on Oct. 4, citing Western intelligence sources.
According to the newspaper, around 3 million a year are being shipped from Pyongyang to Moscow, though a large number are believed to be faulty.
Despite this, The Times reports the sheer number of shells supplied have played a crucial role in Russia's grinding advances in eastern Ukraine, most recently the capture of Vuhledar in Donetsk Oblast earlier this week.
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.
In August, Yonhap reported that North Korea sent containers presumably to Russia that could contain as many as more than 6 million artillery shells.
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.
Shin Won-sik, South Korean defense minister, said in June that Pyongyang also sent dozens of ballistic missiles that Moscow's troops launch against Ukraine.
But their reliability has also been questioned — around half of the North Korean missiles fired at Ukraine by Russia have malfunctioned and exploded in mid-air, Reuters reported on May 7, citing Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office.
Kateryna Hodunova
