South Korea‘s Defense Minister Shin Won-sik made a startling revelation. He said that North Korea has been running its military factories at total capacity. They are doing so to supply arms to Russia. This is a significant shift from the usual 30% capacity operation due to raw materials and power shortages.
🚨🇰🇵🇷🇺 NORTH KOREA has sent 6,700 containers with 3 million 152mm shells to RUSSIA. This is roughly 10X more than the entire EU provided for Ukraine. PIC.TWITTER.COM/I6CFQHVATE
— Jackson Hinkle 🇺🇸 (@jacksonhinklle) MARCH 1, 2024
Reports indicate that North Korea has provided around 6,700 containers to Russia since August. These containers could hold up to 3 million rounds of 152 mm artillery shells or 500,000 rounds of 122 mm artillery shells. This massive supply of munitions is reportedly in exchange for food and other essential items from Russia. Overall, Moscow is shipping about 30% more goods to Pyongyang than it’s receiving from North Korea.
On the other hand, the European Union (EU) has provided substantial financial aid to Ukraine. The Council of the European Union approved the launch of the Ukraine Facility program, promising to feed 50 billion euros by 2027. Additionally, between 2022 and 2023, the EU has allocated €840 million in humanitarian assistance to help civilians affected by the war in Ukraine. Member states have also given €2.2 billion in humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
The motive behind North Korea‘s actions seems to be the exchange of food and raw materials needed to produce munitions. There are also signs that North Korea dispatched weapons experts to Russia in October to counsel Russian officials on how to use the exported North Korean weapons.
The situation continues to change. The experts are studying the risks of North Korea’s actions and the effectiveness of the EU’s aid program.
The North Korea-Russia partnership has raised eyebrows worldwide. A summit highlighted their diplomacy. It was between Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin. It has fueled speculation about an arms deal. In this peculiar exchange, North Korea provides Russia with much-needed munitions, while Russia offers advanced technologies that could strengthen Kim’s nuclear-armed military.
Pyongyang and Moscow have denied these allegations, but the evidence suggests otherwise. North Korea‘s munitions factories are reportedly at total capacity. They are meeting Russian demands, and residents have been mobilized to increase production. Furthermore, there are indications that North Korean weapons experts traveled to Russia to advise on the use of these exported weapons.
The EU and other Western nations provide aid and sanctions against Russia. But they ignore North Korea. It quietly supports its ally. Second, it raises concerns about the proliferation of dangerous technologies. If Russia gains North Korean expertise, it could improve its military. This would make it a more significant threat to regional stability.
As the war rages on, the North Korea-Russia connection remains shrouded in secrecy. Intelligence agencies grapple with limited information due to Pyongyang’s tight control over data. But one thing is clear: the shells keep flowing, and the conflict continues. It’s time for the world to pay closer attention to the unseen hand that shapes the fate of nations.
