North Korea Sent Over 15,000 Munitions Containers to Russia

North Korea has sent more than 15,800 containers of munitions to Russia over the last 18 months, becoming a key supplier for Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine, according to a new joint analysis by the Open Source Centre (OSC) and Reuters, The Gaze reports, citing Newsweek.

The report identified at least 64 shipments between August 2023 and March 2025. The cargo is estimated to include between 4.2 and 5.8 million individual munitions. The shipments were transported aboard four Russian-flagged vessels: Angara, Lady R, Maria, and Maia-1.

This support has bolstered Russia’s military capabilities at a critical time, as Western allies continue to supply aid to Ukraine while the Trump administration in the U.S. pursues a peace deal.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that North Korea has also deployed approximately 11,000 troops to assist Russian forces, primarily along the border with Ukraine in the Kursk region. At least 4,000 of those troops are believed to have been killed or wounded in action.

North Korea has provided Russia with significant military hardware, including short-range ballistic missiles, artillery, and rocket launchers. South Korea’s military confirmed that about 3,000 additional North Korean troops were sent to Russia in early 2025, following previous losses.

The OSC report concluded that North Korea’s continued weapons pipeline is a major strategic challenge. “By enabling Russia to maintain its offensive momentum, it undermines the effectiveness of Western military assistance to Ukraine,” analysts said.

As The Gaze previously reported, North Korean artillery systems have been spotted in Crimea, leading to speculation that Russia may have transferred some North Korean troops to the temporarily occupied peninsula to support operations in Ukraine.