North Korean shells bolster Russian assault on Ukraine
Shin Won Sik, the South Korean Minister of Defence, revealed that about 5.2 million artillery shells have been sent from North Korea to Russia. He suggested that these shells will be used in the invasion of Ukraine. Szin emphasised that this is just the beginning of the tightening of relations between these two countries.
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Szin Won Sik, the head of South Korea's defence ministry, in his comments to the Japanese newspaper "Yomiuri Shimbun," which appeared on Tuesday, stated that military cooperation between North Korea and Russia is deepening.
11 thousand containers
- By 15 July, at least 11 thousand containers containing (in total) 5.2 million 15-centimetre artillery shells were sent from North Korea to Russia - he stated.
The minister noted that not only artillery shells were delivered. They also sent "a dozen short-range ballistic missiles." In exchange for the arms supplies, Pyongyang "received aid in the form of food, oil, and military technology."
Szin noted that "things gained momentum" after Kim Jong Un's visit to Russia in September of last year. It was then that the North Korean leader met with Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok.
The Moscow and Pyongyang treaty
In mid-June, the dictators signed a treaty on mutual aid in case of an attack. Szin called this treaty a "criminal conspiracy." It allows for the open implementation of "agreements on weapons, including artillery shells and missiles, which until now had been kept secret."
The head of the South Korean defence ministry said Russia can now receive artillery shells, missiles, and other equipment needed for the invasion of Ukraine from North Korea without restrictions. Shin added, "it is now possible for Moscow to request troops from the North Korean army." Although he could not disclose the basis of this statement, Shin noted that "such a situation is already happening," but these are not individuals being dispatched to the front.
Shin confirmed South Korea's stance that potential weapon supplies to Ukraine, which the Seoul government began to speak openly about at the end of June, depend on the level and specifics of military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang. So far, Seoul has provided Kyiv with so-called non-lethal weapons or sent weapons to countries that passed on their own arms to the front.
