Production, Quality, Shipping Issues Halt North Korean Ammo To Russia

There have been growing complaints from Russian forces that ammunition shipped by North Korea to Russia is unreliable and that as many as 50% fail to fire or detonate. 

Most of the North Korean supplies were sent by ship, but reports now reveal that none of the Russian ships tracked in doing so have been seen since February 12th and that North Korea does not appear to be sending materials to the ports from which it is transferred. This may be due to several reasons, but Russian insistence - and possible production help - to improve quality may be a prime cause. This could also mean that Russian troops will soon face an artillery shortage. JL

James Kilner reports in the Telegraph via Yahoo:

Shipments of North Korean artillery shells to Russia that have given the Kremlin an edge on battlefields in Ukraine may have stopped. The four Russian container ships used to pick up suspected arms supplies have not docked in North Korea since Feb 12. “It is unclear if this is due to production problems at North Korea’s weapons factories or another issue (such as logistics). North Korea does not appear to have delivered containers to the export pier during that time.” Most of North Korea’s shells have been sent to Russia by ship.

Shipments of North Korean artillery shells to Russia that have given the Kremlin an edge on battlefields in Ukraine may have stopped, South Korean analysts believe.

Satellite photos show that the four Russian container ships used to pick up suspected arms supplies have not docked in North Korea since Feb 12.

“It is unclear if this is due to production problems at North Korea’s weapons factories or another issue,” said NK Pro, which researches North Korea and has studied the satellite photos. “North Korea does not appear to have delivered containers to the export pier during that time.”

The four Russian container ships have been named: the Lady R, the Angara, the Maia-1 and the Maria. NK Pro said that they had previously made 32 trips to North Korea since August when North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un agreed to arm Vladimir Putin in exchange for space technology.

The Lady R which has carried North Korean artillery shells to Russia docked in Cape Town, South Africa - NIC BOTHMA/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

It is believed that North Korea has sent up to three million shells to Russia, helping to give it a major advantage over Ukrainian forces who have complained of a lack of supplies from their Western allies.

Most of North Korea’s shells have been sent to Russia by ship, although NK Pro said that they may now have shifted onto its railway system.

“It also cannot be ruled out that weapons are being transferred to Russia by air or by rail,” it said.

As well as waiting for more arms supplies from the West, Ukrainian soldiers have also complained about some of the equipment given to them last year.