Ukraine may burn more as Russia buying millions of rockets and shells from N. Korea
New Delhi: An officer in the US intelligence department, with the condition of anonymity, said “The Russian defense ministry is in the process of buying millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea to support its invasion of Ukraine. The fact Russia was turning to North Korea demonstrated that “the Russian military continues to suffer from severe supply shortages in Ukraine, due in part to export controls and sanctions.”
The US media reported that US intelligence officials believe that the Russians could look to purchase additional North Korean military equipment in the future.
The finding comes after the Biden administration recently confirmed that the Russian military in August took delivery of Iranian-manufactured drones for use on the battlefield in Ukraine.
The White House last week said, “Russia has faced technical problems with Mohajer-6 and Shahed-series drones, bought as part of what the Biden administration says is likely part of a Russian plan to acquire hundreds of Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).”
The North Koreans have hinted interest in sending construction workers to help rebuild Russian-occupied territories in the country’s east. North Korea’s ambassador to Moscow recently met envoys from two Russia-backed separatist territories in the Donbas region of Ukraine and expressed optimism about cooperation in the “field of labor migration”, citing his country’s easing pandemic border controls.
In July North Korea became the only nation aside from Russia and Syria to recognize the self-proclaimed republics in Luhansk and Donetsk, further aligning with Russia over the conflict in Ukraine.
(Vinayak)
