North Korea has more than halved its supply of shells to Russia this year and has been sending outdated ones, as Pyongyang has exhausted its stockpiles.

Source : Vadym Skibitskyi, Deputy Head of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine in an interview with Reuters

Details : The delivery of millions of artillery shells from North Korea helped Russia maintain the intensity of its fire on the battlefield in 2024, but Skibitskyi said that the volume has fallen by more than half this year because Pyongyang's reserves have run out.

He cited data showing a total of 6.5 million artillery shells delivered to Russia from North Korea since 2023, after Pyongyang seized the opportunity to build closer ties with the Kremlin following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

He noted that no shell deliveries from North Korea were recorded in September, though some were detected in October, and that roughly half of the shells supplied by Pyongyang were so old they had to be sent to factories in Russia for refurbishment.

Skibitskyi added that North Korea had begun large-scale production of small short-range FPV drones and larger medium-range UAVs for battlefield attacks on its own territory, although he did not specify the scale of production.

Quote : "They are learning, they are studying their experience (in this war) in order to expand production in their own territory."

Background : In early October, Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service (UFIS) stated that North Korea currently provides between 35% and 50% of Russia's ammunition needs.

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