Over the course of two and a half years, North Korean authorities have supplied millions of ammunition for the needs of the Russian army. This is what “Important Stories” wrote, which, in cooperation with analysts from the British Open Source Center, was able to access documents about the movements of ships involved in transporting weapons from the DPRK to Russia.
According to them, since the summer of 2023, four Russian ships have made at least 112 trips to the DPRK – supplying the Russian army with 8 to 11 million ammunition.
On average, North Korea supplied Russia with about 350,000 munitions per month. This number of the Russian army could be enough for about a month of offensive operations.
Over time, the volume of ammunition supplies from the DPRK decreased. Since the beginning of 2026, journalists have discovered only one such flight. This can be explained by the fact that Russia has increased its production of missiles, or by the fact that the DPRK’s reserves have been exhausted.
In 2024, North Korea sent its army to assist Russian forces after the Ukrainian armed forces invaded the Kursk region. According to various estimates (in particular, South Korean intelligence), up to 15 thousand North Korean soldiers were sent to Russia, and about a thousand more were sent to clear mines in the Kursk region after the Ukrainian armed forces left the region. Various sources estimate North Korea’s losses at several thousand dead and wounded.