North Korea’s military and economic engagement with Russia has reached an unprecedented level of transparency and scale. Since late 2024, Pyongyang has sent over 15,000 troops, including combat and construction units, into Russian territory, primarily concentrated in the Kursk region.
South Korean intelligence estimates Pyongyang supplied over 12 million 152mm shells in around 28,000 containers. The volume is greater than Russia’s projected 2024 domestic ammunition production of 2 to 2.3 million units.