North Korea May Supply Russia with Rocket Systems

North Korea has developed a 240mm multiple rocket launcher system with "guided" projectiles that could be delivered to Russia for use in the war against Ukraine later this year, according to South Korean Yonhap News Agency.

The final tests of the "technically upgraded" artillery system took place in North Korea on May 10, personally overseen by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The Korean Central News Agency reported that the tests demonstrated the "destructive power" of the 240mm MRL.

Moreover, the "guided" projectiles were tested a month earlier. Officially, they have a range of up to 40 km; however, the South Korean Institute for Defense Security has previously suggested that the missile's range could extend to 60 km.

Kim Jong-un stated that the new weaponry would enhance the DPRK's artillery capabilities and called for the production of shells and artillery munitions to be ramped up to a "higher level." According to Yonhap News, North Korea intends to increase the production of new projectiles and rocket systems not only to target South Korea but also to supply the Russian army fighting in Ukraine.

The DPRK has been providing Russia with arms supplies for its war against Ukraine, significantly escalating since the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un in September of last year. Overall, North Korea has sent approximately 7,000 containers of munitions and other military equipment to Russia, stated South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik. He estimated that the Russian military may have received about 3 million 152mm shells from North Korea.

In exchange for military aid, Russia has supplied the DPRK with more than 9,000 containers of other goods, noted Shin Won-sik. U.S. authorities have repeatedly indicated that North Korea is providing arms to Russia for the war in Ukraine. In return, Pyongyang has requested military equipment as well as advanced military technologies, stated John Kirby, the coordinator for strategic communications at the U.S. National Security Council. Both Russia and North Korea have denied these claims.

At the end of April, UN experts confirmed the use of ballistic missiles produced in North Korea against Ukraine. Specifically, they found that a missile from the "Hwasong-11" series struck Kharkiv on January 2 of this year. The Security Service of Ukraine reported that since the end of last year, Russian soldiers have openly used more than 20 North Korean munitions across Ukrainian territory. At least 24 civilians have died as a result of these attacks, and more than a hundred have sustained serious injuries, according to the SBU.