This week, the Ukrainian military led by Lieutenant General Serhii Najev pointed to North Korea and Iran’s role in what he calls a resource war in an interview with American ABC. – We realize that a resource war is now possible. Russia gets its resources with the help of the “Axis of Evil” – that is North Korea, Iran, Najev told ABC. Russian authorities have on several occasions denied that they buy North Korean weapons and ammunition. But since this summer, more and more evidence has been collected that this may be true. Including satellite images that show a strong increase in ship traffic between Russia and North Korea. Head teacher at the section for land power at the Norwegian Military Academy, Palle Ydstebø believes that the alleged purchase of artillery ammunition from North Korea gives Russia an important advantage in the war in Ukraine. – There have been a number of reports that approximately half of the artillery ammunition that Russia uses in Ukraine today originates in North Korea, he says. – Russia has also received drones from Iran which have proved important in the terrorist bombing campaign against Ukrainian civil infrastructure and population, says Ydstebø. Lieutenant Colonel Palle Ydstebø is head of the section for land forces at the war school. Photo: Mathias Moene Rød – Would have turned the situation on its head Since Russia was forced to withdraw from Kherson last November, the war in Ukraine has been marked by a war of positions with offensive attempts from both sides. In positional warfare, artillery is a very important weapon. – The artillery is the big loser. And it has been since the First World War. And we also see that in Ukraine. 85 per cent of all losses, of personnel and material, mainly come from artillery, says Ydstebø. According to the war researcher, Russia now fires an average of around 10,000 artillery shells a day, while Ukraine fires just over half that on average. – Several observers who follow this closely claim that the only reason why Russia still manages to maintain this artillery capacity is because of North Korean ammunition. It should also be said that they should have received around 350,000 grenades from Iran earlier, says Ydstebø. – How would this look now if they hadn’t had these artillery shells from North Korea? – Then the situation would be turned upside down. Then Ukraine would actually have had an artillery advantage and could have dictated the battles at the front better and could have had better opportunities to advance on selected sections, says Ydstebø to news. Ukrainian soldiers fire artillery near Bakhmut in Donetsk region in mid-December last year. Photo: Libkos / AP The EU is unable to deliver enough artillery shells Most of the artillery ammunition from Ukraine’s allies comes from the USA. – And then South Korea has also delivered a good deal via the USA. Plus European countries have sent over quite a bit, says Ydstebø. Germany’s defense minister said earlier in November that the EU will not be able to achieve its goal of delivering one million artillery shells to Ukraine by March next year. The member countries are now discussing whether they should purchase artillery ammunition from countries outside the Union. – There is a race between the EU and Russia. Russia has gained an advantage by cooperating with North Korea, says Ydstebø. – There are different figures on that, but we are talking about around 350,000 grenades this year to Ukraine, that is what the EU seems to be able to deliver and it is well away from what Ukraine needs, says Ydstebø. According to the American online newspaper Politico, several EU countries are open to buying weapons from countries outside the union. – Why haven’t the EU countries done this before? – To me, it seems that they simply had ambitions to get this for themselves, i.e. that the money should go to the EU’s own industry, says Ydstebø. – After all, North Korea is a country in poor economic condition compared to countries in the EU. How do they manage to deliver so many grenades to Russia? – It is a country that is practically in war mode and has been since the country was created. The surplus that the elite does not take for themselves goes largely to the defence, says Ydstebø. Photo from the North Korean government to show the launch. No independent journalists were allowed to cover this. Photo: AP – Huge chance for North Korea Asia researcher at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), Stein Tønneson calls the cooperation with Russia a huge chance for North Korea. – For the North Korean leadership under Kim Jong-un, this is a great chance. They have been strongly isolated during the pandemic with very reduced trade with China, very little economic connection with Russia as well. And then Russia suddenly enters a protracted war that means they need North Korea’s help. Superb success for Kim Jong-un, he says. Tønneson therefore believes that the information from the intelligence services of South Korea and the United States that North Korea is selling artillery shells to Russia has been withheld. – I consider it very likely that these reports based on satellite surveillance and other information are correct, and that North Korea has used the chance, says Tønneson. Asia researcher in PRIO, Stein Tønneson. Photo: PRIO Thinks China is the most skeptical of the new Eastern bloc Russia said in September that it would help North Korea with its space programme. On Monday, North Korea deployed soldiers and heavy weapons at the border with South Korea after its neighbor to the south had scrapped parts of a de-escalation agreement between the countries as a reaction to North Korea’s alleged success in launching a surveillance satellite. In addition to getting much-needed foreign currency, technological help with its missile program and other parts of the military, cooperation with Russia would also be a way for North Korea to break out of diplomatic isolation. – Now North Korea has, in a way, come into the heat because of Russia’s big problem in Ukraine, says Tønneson. Not so many years ago, China and Russia were strong opponents of North Korea’s nuclear program. Through six-party negotiations together with South Korea, Japan and the United States, they tried to put pressure on North Korea to cancel this program. Now trade with China has also picked up again. – So much is now developing in the direction of a bloc consisting of China, Russia and North Korea, says Tønneson. But the Asia researcher does not believe that the Chinese authorities wish to be too strongly linked to Russia and North Korea. – China would rather be a great power in its own right with good relations with large parts of the world. And preferably not to be seen in a hartcon with Putin’s Russia and Kim Jong Un’s North Korea, he says. Tønneson calls the situation tragic. – It is deeply tragic and it is necessary to try to bring about a development away from this bloc formation and cultivate contact with China and try to hold China to a policy that does not support Russia militarily.
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Claims that North Korea must have delivered more artillery ammunition to Russia than the EU to Ukraine – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
