Russian aid from the DPRK: how many shells did Pyongyang transfer?

North Korea has transferred between 8 and 11 million artillery shells and missiles to Russia for the war against Ukraine.

This was reported by the publication “ Important Stories” based on the results of a joint investigation with analysts from the Open Source Centre.

According to their data, over two and a half years, Moscow has received more than nine million rounds of ammunition from Pyongyang . Some of the supplies are confirmed by documents on the movement of Russian ships that transported containers with weapons from DPRK ports .

Investigators have determined that at least four Russian dry cargo ships – the Angara, Lady R, Maya -1, and Maria – were involved in the transportation . They made at least 112 trips between Russia and North Korea.

According to analysts , the containers contained 122 and 152 mm artillery shells for Soviet guns, missiles for the Grad multiple launch rocket systems , as well as tank ammunition.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, deliveries began in 2023. By early 2025 , North Korean ammunition had become critically important to the Russian army – on some days it accounted for 75 % to 100% of all shells fired by Russian troops at the front.

Analysts also note that the volume of deliveries could have been even greater, as some of the flights were disguised as commercial shipments to other ports.

At the end of 2025 , the pace of deliveries began to decline. Ukrainian intelligence attributes this to the depletion of ammunition stocks in the DPRK, as well as the growth of Russia ‘s own production of shells .

It was previously reported that North Korean military personnel continue to participate in Russia’s war against Ukraine on the side of the aggressor country. As of January 2026, units of the North Korean army are located in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation, from where they carry out attacks on border communities in Ukraine.

Recall that North Korea this year transferred half as much artillery ammunition to Russia as in 2024, and this may indicate a rapid depletion of its reserves.