North Korea supplied Russia with 9 million shells

North Korea has provided Russia with about nine million artillery shells and more than 100 ballistic missiles since September 2023, according to a report released Thursday by the Multinational Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT). In exchange, Russia has supplied North Korea with air defense systems and missile technology.

The MSMT, established last October by 11 countries including South Korea, the United States, and Japan, was formed after Russia vetoed the extension of the UN Panel of Experts on North Korea, which had operated for 15 years. This is the MSMT’s first report.

A South Korean Foreign Ministry official stated that the team gathered intelligence from participating nations and discovered that North Korea’s shipments, exceeding 20,000 containers, were transported by Russian cargo ships to ports in the Far East, then transferred by rail to central and western Russia. The shipments included around nine million shells and rockets, along with more than 200 heavy artillery pieces, such as 170mm self-propelled guns and 240mm multiple rocket launchers—enough to equip three brigades.

In return, Russia reportedly supplied North Korea with at least one Pantsir-grade air defense combat vehicle, electronic jamming devices, and operational training. Observers noted that the air defense system on North Korea’s newly launched 5,000-ton “Aegis-style” destroyer, the 'Choe Hyon,' closely resembles the Russian Pantsir system. The Foreign Ministry official added that Russia also provided feedback and guidance technology related to ballistic missiles, all of which violate UN sanctions.

The report specifies the ships, aircraft, individuals, and organizations involved in the weapons transfers between the two countries. North Korea also sent about 8,000 workers to Russia last year, despite UN sanctions prohibiting such labor exports. These workers, a key source of foreign currency for Pyongyang, were deployed across various sectors, including construction, light manufacturing, IT, and healthcare. The MSMT expects thousands of North Koreans to be sent to Russia in the first half of this year.

Although the MSMT operates outside the UN framework, unlike the former Panel of Experts, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said the documented military cooperation between North Korea and Russia could provide grounds for future unilateral sanctions by individual countries. "The opportunity for dialogue to reestablish the UN Panel of Experts, which is a key factor in the system of UN sanctions, remains open," the 11 countries participating in MSMT stated following the report's release. "We emphasize our shared commitment to fully implement all UN Security Council resolutions related to North Korea."