WSJ: North Korea boosts weapons supply to Russia amid deepening alliance

Satellite imagery reveals North Korea's massive expansion of weapons production facilities and increased shipments to Russia.

Dec 23, 2024 - 20:00

WSJ: North Korea boosts weapons supply to Russia amid deepening alliance

wsj north korea boosts weapons supply russia amid deepening alliance satellite images show factory korea's east coast involved production hwasong-11 class missiles produces imagery reveals massive expansion facilities increased shipments

North Korea has significantly expanded its weapons supply and production capabilities to support Russia’s war in Ukraine, WSJ reports, citing satellite imagery and official sources.

US officials said earlier that approximately 12,000 North Korean soldiers are engaged in active combat against Ukraine in Russia. South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers that more than 100 of these troops have been killed and around 1,000 injured in combat against Ukrainian units in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

According to WSJ, the imagery shows rapid expansion of missile manufacturing facilities, including new construction at a plant on North Korea’s eastern coast that produces Hwasong-11 class missiles, dubbed KN-23 and KN-24 in the West, according to SI Analytics. The facility has added new buildings, apparently aimed at concealing loading operations.

Russia uses the North Korean KN-23 and KN-24 ballistic missiles to target Ukrainian cities.

Railroad traffic at the Tumangang-Khasan crossing on the Russia-North Korea border has reached record highs this year, with the number of railcars tripling since North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin met last September, satellite data shows.

Around 200 munitions factories in North Korea are operating at full capacity to produce weapons, while Russia is transferring fuel and equipment to support Pyongyang’s arms manufacturing, Seoul officials said.

The military exchange benefits both nations. The London-based Open Source Centre reports North Korea has received over a million barrels of oil since March, twice the annual cap imposed under United Nations sanctions. According to researcher Olena Guseinova at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, arms deals with Russia could have earned Pyongyang up to $5.5 billion since Russia started its all-out war in Ukraine.

Satellite image showing rail traffic at the North Korea-Russia border crossing. Photo: Airbus satellite imagery/SIA SuperX via WSJ

Washington and Seoul officials reported that North Korea has shipped 20,000 containers of munitions to Russia, including more than five million artillery shells and over 100 Hwasong-11 class missiles. A senior Ukrainian intelligence official described these missiles as having “impressive” range despite potential imprecision, according to WSJ.

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