According to the United States, North Korea has recently supplied weapons to the Russian Wagner forces. North Korea has repeatedly denied reports of arms sales with Russia.
Throughout the rest of the year, information about arms sales between Russia and North Korea has been leaking into the public domain. We are looking for answers to three key questions related to the matter.
What is the information about weapon deliveries based on?
to US intelligence. Already in September, the United States announced Russia’s intentions to purchase rockets and artillery ammunition from North Korea.
According to the United States, North Korea delivered weapons to the Russian Wagner forces in November. It included, among other things, rockets and missiles.
Wagner is a private mercenary army. The United States estimates that 50,000 soldiers are fighting in the ranks of the group in Ukraine.
According to the United States, the arms delivery was not the first of its kind. In the beginning of November The United States told (you are moving to another service)that North Korea had secretly sent a “significant amount” of artillery shells to Russia.
Both North Korea and the Wagner group have denied the claims. So far, at least, no North Korean weapons have been found in Ukraine.
What do arms deliveries mean in terms of war?
Arms deliveries do not change the big picture of the war, says White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.
The United States’ assessments of the significance of North Korea’s arms shipments have remained almost unchanged throughout the fall.
For example, in November, the United States estimated that there would not be so many grenades coming to Russia that they would change the course of the war.
The United States is still concerned about North Korea’s plans to send more military equipment to Russia, Kirby stated according to the news agency AP on Thursday.
Why are Russia and North Korea trading arms?
Both countries have a shortage of partners. There is also a shortage of weapons in Russia.
North Korea uses the situation to strengthen its relations with Russia. This is what a senior researcher thinks Victor Cha from the United States Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) (you will switch to another service) – from the think tank.
According to Chan’s assessment, North Korea sees the situation more as an economic opportunity than a strategic decision. North Korea may try to get its debts forgiven in exchange for arms deliveries, Cha writes on the CSIS website.
Since the start of its major offensive, Russia’s own ammunition stocks have dwindled.
North Korea is indeed an attractive partner for Russia, as it is capable of producing variants of Soviet-era weapon systems, he estimates British newspaper The Guardian (you will switch to another service) in November.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin said in August that the countries’ bilateral relations will be expanded to “comprehensive and constructive”.
Countries are also united by the sanctions imposed on them.
In addition to North Korea, Russia has turned to Iran during its attack. Russia has received, among other things, airplanes from Iran.
Source: AP, Reuters