Seoul, South Korea – North Korean leader Kim Jong has asked for his ammunition industry to increase the production of artillery shells, state media said Wednesday, while the country continues to supply weapons and troops to He supports Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The official Korean News Agency of North Korea said that Kim, during the recent visits to the unsecified ammunition and machinery factories, praised the modernization efforts that the agency affirmed allowed the facilities to double their annual capacity of shell production.
Kim urged workers to further accelerate artillery shell production, describing that it is crucial to “strengthen the combat efficiency” of their armed forces, and also requested the development of more advanced machinery to boost ammunition production. Kcna did not mention any Kim comment about his support for the invasion of Russian President Vladimir Putin of Ukraine.
The recent intelligence evaluations of South Korea suggest that North Korea has sent about 15,000 soldiers to Russia, and that almost 5,000 of them have been killed or injured while fighting Ukrainian forces. Washington and Seoul have also accused North Korea of providing Russia with several types of military equipment, including artillery systems and ballistic shells and missiles.
After denying his participation in the war for months, North Korea last month confirmed For the first time he had sent combat troops to help Russia recover parts of The Kursk regionthat had fallen to a Ukrainian incursion surprise last year. Moscow also recognized the participation of North Korea, with Putin issuing a statement thanking the North for sending troops to support his strength and promising not forgetting his sacrifices.
Analysts say that the official North Korea’s recognition on their military support to Russia is probably aimed at consolidating a deeper long -term association with Moscow and ensuring greater compensation, potentially including advanced military technology that could improve the threat raised by Kim’s nuclear forces.
When formalizing their role as a war participant, North Korea can also be positioning to seek compensation in future negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine, according to a recent report from the National Security Strategy Institute, a group of experts affiliated with the South Korean intelligence agency.
In a closed informative session for legislators last month, the National Intelligence Service of South Korea also said that he believes that North Korea has sent around 15,000 workers to Russia under bilateral industrial cooperation programs.
While the value of artillery and North Korean missiles supplied to Russia probably amounts to billions of dollars, there are no immediate signals that Russia has provided direct cash payments in return, the agency said. Instead, Russia has probably compensated North Korea with Air defense missiles, Electronic War Team, drones and technology for spy satellite launches, according to evaluation.
