▲ North Korean soldiers march with a Russian flag during a recent military parade marking the ninth congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, in this image captured from the Korean Central Television on Feb. 27, 2026. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

N Korea-Russia-war support

N. Korea ships 33,000 containers of weapons to Russia: Seoul

SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea is believed to have shipped some 33,000 containers of military supplies, including weapons and ammunition, to Russia as part of its support for Moscow in the war with Ukraine, a military intelligence unit said Sunday.

The shipped volume, in terms of ammunition, could amount to over 15 million 152-mm artillery shells, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) under the defense ministry said in a report submitted to Rep. Kang Dae-sik of the main opposition People Power Party.

The assessment marks an increase from the DIA's announcement in July last year that about 28,000 containers of military supplies had been shipped from North Korea to Russia.

North Korea is known to have mostly used Rajin Port near the border with Russia to ship the containers via sea routes.

North Korea is also believed to have supplied 220 artillery pieces, including 170-mm self-propelled howitzers and 240-mm multiple rocket launchers, Kang's office said, citing the DIA report.

Additionally, North Korea is presumed to be shipping other weapons, including 122-mm and 152-mm shells, anti-tank missiles, short-range ballistic missiles and anti-tank rockets to Russia.

Since October 2024, North Korea has dispatched more than 16,000 troops to support Russia in the war, the DIA assessed. Of them, about 1,000 returned home in December, but they will likely be redeployed to Russia, according to the DIA.

North Korea and Russia have stepped up cooperation in military, diplomatic and economic areas since signing a bilateral pact in June 2024, it said.

"However, there are signs that their cooperation in defense technology and advanced industries is falling short of the North's expectations," the DIA added.

Pyongyang has widely been viewed to be seeking the acquisition of key military technologies, especially those related to spy satellites, miniaturized nuclear weapons and nuclear-powered submarines, from Russia in exchange for its support in the prolonged war.

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