North Korea bolsters Russia's war effort with tanks and missiles
North Korea is continuously increasing its support for Russia. Initially, only North Korean artillery shells reached the front; now, they also include ballistic missiles, and soon North Korean armoured vehicles may also operate in Ukraine. What specific equipment of this kind might Pyongyang provide as aid for Putin's army?
Ukrainian media have no doubts that North Korea has increased weapon production for Russia in recent weeks, primarily in terms of 6-inch calibre artillery shells. KN-23 ballistic missiles also attacked Ukrainian troops and cities, and at the end of July 2024, a mysterious vehicle was spotted on the front. It is most likely a Bulsae-4 tank destroyer or a newer version of the Bulsae-6.
North Korea increases support for Russia
An article in Forbes suggested that this could be the first sign confirming reports of the possibility of even more excellent support for Russia from North Korea. Perhaps thanks to further agreements, Russia will solve one of the biggest problems on the battlefield in Ukraine: the shortage of combat vehicles, of which they lose around 600 per month.
"The Russians are especially hurting for modern tanks and armored personnel carriers, so don’t be shocked to eventually see ex-Korean Pokpung-ho tanks and M2010 APCs on the Russian side of the front line in Ukraine. It might help that the M2010 and Bulsae-4 have the same chassis," wrote the analysis in Forbes.
In the context of tanks as a potential reinforcement for the Russians, P'okp'ung-ho tanks are often mentioned. These are the most modern North Korean tanks produced since 1992. They are equipped with a 5-inch smoothbore gun, a 0.6-inch anti-aircraft machine gun, and a 0.3-inch machine gun. The hull is most likely a combination of features seen in Russian T-62 and T-72 tanks.
In greater numbers in North Korea, older Ch'ŏnma-ho tanks are present, which should be considered modernised counterparts of the Russian T-62. They have 4.5-inch guns and the same set of machine guns as the P'okp'ung-ho but are significantly less armoured.
The Russians are increasingly sending ancient tanks from their warehouses to the front. So, it is not unlikely that the age of the machines from North Korea will not bother them. In Ukraine, not only T-62Ms from the 1980s are already seen, but even older T-55 and T-54 tanks, whose history dates back to the 1950s.
