The Not So Hidden Supply Line
More than half of the shells fired by Russian forces now come from North Korea and Iran.
That’s the shocking reality uncovered by intercepted communications and Russian military documents, analyzed by the Open Source Centre. Yet, despite this, some still call North Korea an "isolated and technologically backward country." That’s what a diplomat told me recently. Sure, let’s keep pretending they’re a "weak player" while Pyongyang fuels Moscow’s war machine on a scale we are only just beginning to understand.
It’s well known that North Korea has been supplying ammunition to Russia. But what we didn’t realize until recently was the sheer magnitude of these shipments, and the vital role they now play in sustaining Russia’s offensive.
A Major Arms Exporter
Take just one example. On 17 March 2025, one day before Presidents Trump and Putin reportedly discussed a possible Ukraine peace deal, a Russian-flagged cargo ship docked at North Korea’s Rajin port. Its mission: to load hundreds of containers, likely packed with artillery shells, rockets, and mortar rounds.
But that shipment was just the tip of the iceberg. According to the Open Source Centre, it was already the 64th recorded shipment since monitoring began, part of a special fleet of Russian ammunition ships that now form one of Moscow’s most critical lifelines in the war.
Between August 2023 and March 2025, North Korea is estimated to have sent at least 64 shipments delivering millions of rounds of ammunition to Russia. From Rajin, the cargo travels to Russia’s Far East ports, and then by rail straight to the front lines. Up to 750 containers per month are being transported this way. Well over 15,000 containers have been delivered in less than two years, likely containing over 4 million artillery shells and rockets, worth several billion dollars.
All of it packed into neat little boxes tracked by satellites, counted by analysts, and modeled in 3D. Welcome to 21st-century warfare: Kim ships. Putin shoots. Analysts count pixels.
And it gets worse. According to the latest intelligence, North Korea’s weapons factories have been ordered to run 24/7 at full capacity - ramping up production of howitzers, rockets, and other weapons, likely built specifically for Russia. This isn’t some symbolic show of support. It’s a logistical lifeline keeping Russia’s artillery alive.
The unavoidable conclusion? Without Pyongyang’s help, Moscow’s ability to sustain its offensive in Ukraine would collapse. While the West argued over every tank and missile, Kim and Putin launched their own version of Amazon Prime: guaranteed delivery in 2–3 weeks. Free regional destabilization included.
A Long History of Arms Dealing
North Korea’s role as an international arms dealer is not new. For decades, Pyongyang has financed its regime by selling weapons to rogue states and militias across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. From Scud missiles in Yemen to small arms in sub-Saharan Africa, Kim Jong-un is merely scaling up an old survival strategy.
Meanwhile, as factories churn out shells for Russia, North Korea’s own military is not being neglected. Pyongyang continues to test intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the U.S. mainland and cyber units targeting Western infrastructure. The Asia-Pacific is facing a more dangerous, emboldened North Korea than ever before.
A Shame for the West
This North Korean arms pipeline isn't just a problem for Ukraine, it's a wake-up call for both Europe and Asia. For years, sanctions and diplomatic isolation were supposed to limit Pyongyang's ability to fuel conflicts abroad. Instead, North Korea has adapted, creating covert shipping networks and evading monitoring with remarkable sophistication.
Democracies, supposedly the defenders of freedom and human rights, are watching as autocracies like Russia, North Korea, and Iran coordinate with ruthless speed and unity. It's a wake-up call for both Europe and Asia, and a deep embarrassment for the democratic world. When dictatorships cooperate faster, better, and more efficiently than democracies, something is very wrong.
Tomáš Zdechovský
Czech Politician | Member of European Parliament
