4 Points You Need to Know: Russia has increasingly turned to North Korea for military aid during the ongoing war in Ukraine, with reports indicating that North Korean artillery shells now account for over half of Russia's used ordnance.

-Pyongyang has reportedly shipped around three million rounds to Moscow, though much of it is faulty.

-Russia may also be employing Soviet-era D-74 122mm towed artillery, likely supplied by North Korea.

-These developments highlight the strained state of Russia's military stockpiles, while North Korean support demonstrates Moscow's efforts to showcase international backing for its "special military operation."

North Korean Military Aid to Russia Surges: 3 Million Shells Supplied

It was two years ago that reports first circulated that Russia was turning to North Korea to acquire artillery shells as the Kremlin's forces were running low on ordnance. The intense fighting during the first summer campaign of the still-ongoing war in Ukraine had depleted Russian stockpiles and Moscow was forced to look to the Hermit Kingdom for assistance.

"We're not talking dozens here. It's a significant number of artillery shells," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters during a November 2022 briefing.

"This is a sign of not only the degree to which North Korea is willing to continue to bolster support for Russia, but a sign of Russia's own defense articles, shortages and needs," Kirby added.

Now more than two years later the situation has changed – but not for the better for Moscow's forces. The UK's The Times newspaper reported earlier this month that more than half of the ordnance used by the Russian military came from North Korea. The paper of record cited Western intelligence sources that found that approximately three million rounds had been shipped from Pyongyang to Moscow.

It accounts for nearly half of the shells employed in the conflict. However, the ordnance has been far from reliable and a considerable percentage has been reported as faulty.

Calling in the Big Guns...From North Korea? 

In addition to vast quantities of ordnance, the Kremlin may have begun to acquire and employ the Soviet-era D-74 122mm towed artillery, a weapon platform that hasn't been in Russia's arsenal for decades. It was widely exported and saw use with the North Vietnamese forces during the Vietnam War.

"The appearance of the D-74 at the front is far from a common occurrence. During the Soviet era, a small number of these guns were produced, mostly for the needs of allied countries, including locally under license," Militarnyi Ukraine reported last week.

It has been adopted by former members of the Warsaw Pact but was decommissioned even before the end of the Cold War. Yet, it remains in use with the militaries of Algeria, China, North Korea. and Vietnam – while open-source intelligence claims it is in use with other nations throughout Africa and the Middle East. Many are actually the Chinese-made licensed copy, the Type-60.

There has been speculation that the Kremlin maintained stockpiles of the D-74 – and Russia could be described as a "hoarder" of antiqued military hardware, which it has increasingly relied upon to replace its losses on the battlefield. However, Business Insider reported there is increased speculation that the towed howitzers are as likely to have come as part of military aid from Pyongyang.

"It is no secret that Russia has significant struggles with both material and manpower," retired U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Michael Purcell, professor of international security at George Washington University, told Business Insider. "And it is safe to assume that these systems, or at least the ammunition, are coming from the DPRK."

While Moscow hasn't acknowledged that the D-74s were from North Korea, it may not attempt to conceal that fact.

"Russia has not been shy about strengthening and promoting its defense ties with the DPRK," Purcell said. "In the same way that the Putin regime has always sought support and approval from marginalized states regardless of the legitimacy of the government."

Moreover, obtaining the weapons and ordnance would be Moscow's way of highlighting that it has international support for its "special military operation," just as the West is supporting Ukraine.

As previously reported, at least six North Korean soldiers were reportedly killed in Ukraine last week, further highlighting Pyongyang's support. However, Russia did attempt to squelch such claims, labeling them as "fake news."

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].

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