Russia to buy rockets, artillery shells from North Korea: US intelligence

Russia is in the process of purchasing millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea for the ongoing war with Ukraine, new US intelligence has revealed.

A US intelligence official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Monday that Russia’s reliance on isolated North Korea is evidence that “the Russian military continues to suffer from severe supply shortages in Ukraine, due in part to export controls and sanctions.”

The North’s arms export to Russia would fly in the face of UN resolutions that forbid the country from importing weapons from other nations.

News of Russia’s impending purchase also comes less than two months after the Post reported that Iran would be providing Russia with “hundreds” of drones.

Speaking with reporters in mid-July, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirmed that Iran was preparing to train Russian soldiers to use the weapons-capable unmanned aerial vehicles.

Just last week, however, the White House reported that Russia has faced technical difficulties with the drones acquired in August.

While most of Europe and the West have pulled away, North Korea has actively sought to strengthen its ties with Russia, blaming the US for the crisis in Ukraine and denouncing the West’s “hegemonic policy.”

Ties between Russia and North Korea date back to 1948, when Soviet officials established Kim Il Sung, the late grandfather of current leader Kim Jong Un, as North Korea’s first leader. Over the past several decades, Russian aid has been crucial in sustaining the North’s economy.

In July, North Korea solidified its stance on the current Ukraine conflict by becoming the third country after Russia and Syria to recognize the independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk territories.

Earlier this month, North Korean officials also hinted that the country may send workers to help rebuild Russian-occupied territories.

North Korea’s ambassador to Moscow met with envoys from two Russian-backed separatist regions of Donbas in Ukraine, and expressed an interest in the “field of labor migration.”

Although experts doubt whether North Korean workers will actually touch down in Ukraine, the conversation led credence to suspicions that both China and Russia have not fully enforced UN sanctions against the country.

In May, both countries vetoed a US-backed bid to impose new economic sanctions on North Korea over its high-profile missile tests this year.

North Korea fired more than 30 ballistic missiles this year, as Kim Jong Un revs up his nuclear arsenal despite US-backed efforts to deprive the country of its nuclear weaponry.

Meanwhile, Kim and Russian leader Vladimir Putin recently exchanged correspondence calling for “comprehensive” and “strategic and tactical” cooperation between the countries.

Moscow has also issued statements decrying military exercises between the US and South Korea, which the North views as provocation.

According to some experts, the ongoing war in Ukraine might motivate Kim to continue building his nuclear stash, as he believes the Russian invasion occurred because Ukraine relinquished its nuclear arsenal.

With Post wires