This was reported in an interview by the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, Oleg Ivashchenko, in the media Ukrinform

Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Russia has received six million 122 mm and 152 mm caliber shells from North Korea. This was reported by the head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service, Oleg Ivashchenko, in an interview. He noted that Russia produces about three million shells annually, with an additional 2.5–3 million coming from the DPRK. Thus, since the start of the war, Moscow has obtained a significant amount of ammunition from Pyongyang.

In addition to shells, North Korea supplies Russia with 170 mm M1989 Koksan self-propelled artillery units and 240 mm M1991 multiple rocket launch systems, 120 units of each type. In exchange for these supplies, the DPRK receives technologies in missile building and space sectors from Russia, as well as specialists for military-industrial enterprises.

Ivashchenko also emphasized that North Korea provides labor for various sectors, including agriculture and construction. In 2024, Pyongyang sent about 13,800 workers to Russia.

He noted that Russian military forces are trying to increase arms production but face difficulties due to a lack of investment, machinery, and components. About 80% of Russia’s military equipment is outdated, with only 20% comprising modern systems.

Regarding the participation of DPRK military personnel in combat operations, Ivashchenko reported that although they have not been recorded in the occupied territories of Ukraine, North Korean-made artillery has already been used on the front lines, particularly in the Kherson region.

In 2024, a strategic partnership agreement was signed between the DPRK and Russia, providing for cooperation in the defense sector. In May 2025, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un confirmed the deployment of troops to Russia to participate in the war against Ukraine.

On April 28, 2025, the DPRK acknowledged for the first time that it had sent its units to participate in combat operations in Russia’s Kursk region, explaining this as necessary to repel a Ukrainian offensive. Kim Jong Un issued the corresponding order in accordance with the strategic partnership agreement.

On April 26, 2025, the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, confirmed the participation of DPRK troops in liberating the territory of the Kursk region, marking the first public acknowledgment of their involvement in the war.

In October 2024, South Korean intelligence reported the deployment of 1,500 DPRK special forces to Russia and plans to involve up to 12,000 military personnel. Pyongyang denied these reports, calling them rumors.

In October 2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that North Korea had effectively joined the war against Ukraine. In November 2024, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov confirmed the first clashes between the Armed Forces of Ukraine and North Korean troops in the Kursk region.

In January 2025, the Ukrainian Armed Forces captured two DPRK soldiers in the Kursk region. President Zelensky instructed the Security Service of Ukraine to grant access to the prisoners, while South Korean authorities expressed readiness to repatriate their citizens, considering them their nationals.