Between 4 and 6 million delivered howitzes. Phenian has become the largest artillery provider for the Russian army
North Korean leader Kim Jong passes through a 170 mm M-1989 howitzer M-1989 on January 1, 2013. Photo: Not Supplied / Willwest News / Profimedia
Most of the artillery projectiles used by Russian forces in the Ukraine War in 2024 were manufactured in North Korea, reveal a common investigation of Reuters and Open Source Center (OSC), published on Tuesday, April 15th.
The Phenian has become a key military ally of Russia, providing artillery, missiles and, according to South Korean and Ukrainian secret services, even soldiers for the battlefield, in exchange for oil products and advanced rocket production, notes The Kyiv Independent and The Moscow Times.
The internal technical reports of the Russian Ministry of Defense, obtained in the press investigation, indicate that, in some Russian military units, between 75% and 100% of artillery howitzers are manufactured in North Korea.
In general, the Phenian provides about half of all artillery projectiles used by Russian troops, according to the Ukrainian military information agency (HUR), quoted by Reuters.
North Korean weapons to Russia began at the latest in September 2023, after a visit to Phenian, in July, by the Russian Minister of Defense since then, Sergei Șoigu, found the press investigation.
Between September 2023 and March 17, 2025, four Russian freight vessels-employee, Maria, Maya-1 and Lady R-transported 64 times military loads from the North Korean port to the Russian ports from the Danube and to the Vostochny port.
According to satellite images, ships transported at least 15,809 containers in total. Also, the deliveries from North Korea were transported on the railway called the “Friendship Bridge”, over the Tumanna river (Tumen), in Primorie.
The deliveries reached the peak in January 2024, with seven lots per month, and the freight ships are currently carrying approximately three lots of projectile per month, according to the journalistic investigation.
Open Source Center, a headquartered in the United Kingdom, estimates that the 64 transports included between 4 million and 6 million artillery.
The projectiles were transported on the railway to warehouses near the Russian-Ukrainian border, mainly to Tikhoretsk, in Krasnodar Krai in Russia.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin described North Korea as a “partner” and mentioned that the military cooperation treaty between Moscow and Phenian, signed last year, entered into force.
Also, on March 27, Putin suggested that “friend” countries with Russia, including North Korea, could take part in the peace process and negotiations to put an end to the conflict in Ukraine.
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