Following claims that the Russian military has started employing drones built in Iran, the New York Times reported that US intelligence believes Moscow is purchasing millions of artillery shells and missiles from North Korea.
US officials claimed they could attest to the accuracy of the New York Times’ account and that more Russian sales of North Korean military hardware were anticipated.
“The Russian ministry of defense is in the process of purchasing millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea for use on the battlefield in Ukraine,” an official said by email when asked about the paper’s report.
The official said the purchases indicated that the Russian military “continues to suffer from severe supply shortages in Ukraine, due in part to export controls and sanctions.”
“We expect Russia could try to purchase additional North Korean military equipment going forward,” said the official, who did not want to be identified by name.
The Times quoted US government officials as saying that the purchases showed US-led sanctions had begun to bite and to reduce Russia’s ability to sustain its invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow has called a “special military operation”.
According to a report published by the newspaper on Monday, recently declassified intelligence did not reveal any specifics about the materials purchased beyond the fact that they comprised artillery shells and rockets.
Russian drones produced in Iran experienced “many malfunctions,” a US official told Reuters last month. According to the official, Russia most likely intended to purchase hundreds of the Mohajer-6 and Shahed series UAVs (UAVs).
Recently, Ukraine launched counteroffensives in a number of areas, notably the area surrounding Kherson, which Russia has held since the beginning of the invasion. Ukrainian forces attacked Russian supply points, particularly those housing artillery and ammunition, in advance of those assaults.
Officials have said Western sanctions are limiting Russia’s ability to replace vehicles and weapons destroyed in Ukraine.
