DPRK supplies Russia with 1.5 million ammo produced in 1970s-1980s - Ukrainian intelligence

Deputy Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, Major General Vadym Skibitskyi said this in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

According to him, half of North Korea's munitions do not work, and the remaining shells need to be checked or restored before use.

"As of today, if we look at the available statistics, the Russians have already brought in one and a half million rounds of ammunition from the DPRK. But these munitions are from the 70s and 80s. Half of them don't work, and the rest need to be restored or tested before they can be used. What is the benefit for North Korea here? It gives away the old stuff, asks to increase production at home, and asks for certain technologies in return, including missile technology and submarine technology, in order to develop its military-industrial complex," Skibitskyi said.

He also confirmed that Russia is using DPRK-made missiles in the war. The deputy chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine emphasized that such a ballistic missile carries a large charge - more than half a ton.

"It is very difficult to identify what exactly is being launched: whether it's a KN-23 or an Iskander, but nevertheless, the characteristics are ballistic. The only thing we know for sure is that the missiles are different in size. And secondly, the Korean missile is newer in development, because it is most likely based on the Russian Iskander development," he argued.

At the same time, the Russian forces, according to the intelligence, promised to provide additional technologies to help North Korea improve its weapons.

"But this once again confirms that Russia does not have enough production capacity to rapidly increase the production of missile weapons. If this were the case, they would not have turned to North Korea," Skibitskyi emphasized.

• Despite Moscow's statements about the alleged ability of its military-industrial complex to meet all its needs, Russia is forced to buy outdated ammunition and missiles, some of which were produced more than 40 years ago.