North Korea's large-scale shipments of artillery ammunition to russia played a crucial role in sustaining russian firepower throughout 2024, but those flows are now sharply declining as Pyongyang's stockpiles run low. According to Vadym Skibitskyi, Deputy Chief of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, North Korea supplied roughly 6.5 million artillery shells to russia since 2023, one of the most significant foreign contributions to russia's war effort.
Vadym Skibitskyi, speaking to Reuters, said the volume of incoming North Korean munitions in 2025 has dropped by more than half compared to last year. He noted that not a single shipment was recorded in September, though some deliveries resumed in October. The dramatic reduction indicates that Pyongyang's reserves of usable ammunition are being depleted after months of supplying russia with Soviet-caliber shells.
Read more: Blast on the Trans-Siberian Line Interrupts Flow of North Korean Munitions (Video)
However, quantity is not the only issue. Ukrainian intelligence assessed that nearly half of the North Korean shells delivered to russia were so old and unreliable that they required refurbishment at russian facilities. This not only slows russia's ability to field the ammunition but also underscores the increasingly desperate sourcing of shells as russia tries to maintain its rate of fire along the front.
Beyond ammunition, North Korea has begun expanding its own drone production capabilities based on lessons learned from the war. Vadym Skibitskyi said Pyongyang had launched mass production of both small, short-range FPV drones and larger medium-range attack drones, though he did not provide exact output figures. The shift signals that North Korea is transitioning from a secondary supplier to a potential independent manufacturer of battlefield UAVs.
Pyongyang has been closely studying russia's use of drones in Ukraine and is applying those observations to establish its own production base. This development raises concerns about future battlefield proliferation and the deepening military cooperation between the two pariah states.
As Defense Express previously reported, russia is preparing to bring in up to 12,000 North Korean laborers to work at enterprises within the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan by the end of 2025, according to reports from Ukraine's Defense Intelligence. The move signals another step in the deepening partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang as both regimes seek to reinforce their positions amid international isolation.
Read more: russia to Import 12,000 North Korean Workers for the Shahed Drone Production
