Half of the projectiles used by Russia - about three million a year - are supplied by North Korea, writes the newspaper "Times", referring to Western intelligence.
President Vladimir Putin visited Pyongyang earlier this year to sign a defense pact with Kim Jong-un and the Kremlin has become dependent on the isolated authoritarian state to maintain its advances in eastern Ukraine, intelligence sources say. Although many of the shells are believed to be defective, the sheer quantity has allowed Russia to make steady progress, most recently capturing the eastern Ukrainian town of Vugledar, BNR reports.
The newspaper recalls that Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine's military intelligence, warned in September that North Korean missile deliveries were tilting the war in Russia's favor.
“Times“ commented that in the early years of the war, Russia's allies seemed reluctant to actively supply Moscow with weapons, but Putin's efforts to build an anti-Western coalition appear to be bearing fruit and having an impact on the battlefield.
The publication previously revealed that Iran had sent 200 ballistic missiles to Russia, while China had sheltered and helped a Russian defense company build long-range drones. Western officials believe there is “clear evidence” that China is playing an increasingly active role.