DPRK has supplied arms to Russia worth up to $5.5 billion - study
Since February 2022, Russia has received North Korean weapons worth between $1.7 and $5.5 billion.
According to Censor.NET, citing DW, this is stated in a study by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.
It is noted that against the backdrop of Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine, the partnership between Russia and North Korea has strengthened. The latest deliveries of North Korean weapons have become timely for Moscow. It is predicted that the value of North Korea's exports could increase by hundreds of millions of dollars due to the potential deployment of its troops in Ukraine.
For the study, Elena Huseynova of Hanguk University in Seoul evaluated intelligence reports, leaked documents, and ammunition prices from previous North Korean arms deals. Based on this, she estimated the volume of North Korean arms sales to Russia since February 2022 at between $1.7 billion and $5.5 billion.
"Beyond its immediate military needs, Russia seeks to use its relationship with North Korea - and potential military technology transfers - as a tool to weaken the unity of Western alliances, especially in East Asia. By causing security and diplomatic problems for countries such as South Korea and Japan, Russia seeks to change the geopolitical landscape in its favour," the study says.
North Korea does not publish data on its arms exports, making a more accurate assessment virtually impossible. According to South Korean intelligence, which bases its reports partly on satellite imagery tracking shipments between North Korea and Russia, North Korea mainly supports the Russian army with artillery shells and short-range missiles.
"The war in Ukraine has worsened the security situation in East Asia. Russia and North Korea are working to destabilise the international order," Frederic Spohr said, Head of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation's office in Korea.
The study also notes that Russia's strategy faces several limitations. North Korea's outdated and unreliable weapons raise doubts about the sustainability of an arms deal, while Pyongyang's history of shifting alliances makes it an unpredictable partner. In addition, by strengthening a more aggressive North Korea, Russia risks worsening its relations with China. Moscow's deeper cooperation with a rogue state such as North Korea, including through the transfer of sensitive technologies, could further isolate Russia on the world stage.
Earlier, the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine reported that Russians were transporting North Korean soldiers to the front in trucks with civilian licence plates.
