North Korea supplied Russia with up to 11 million pieces of ammunition in violation of sanctions, investigation finds

Between 2023 and early 2026, North Korea supplied Russia with as many as 11 million artillery shells and rockets, according to an investigation by the independent exiled Russian publication Important Stories and the UK-based non-profit Open Source Center. The outlets analyzed documents on the movements of ships that transported the weapons and found that on average, Moscow received about 350,000 rounds per month from Pyongyang — the equivalent of five separate voyages. The monthly supply is roughly the amount Russia’s army needs for one month of offensive operations in Ukraine. The deliveries accounted “for 75% to 100% of all daily artillery fire” by Russian forces at the front, the report said, citing figures obtained by Reuters.

According to the investigation, four Russian container ships, Angara, Maria, Lady R, and Maia-1, made at least 112 voyages to North Korea while listing the South Korean port of Busan as their destination. The vessels’ actual routes were traced using sailors’ photographs on social media, along with satellite data. As the investigation explains, “the requirement to ‘surrender mobile phones’ was frequently ignored. Crew members published more than 60 photos and videos from their North Korean voyages online.” Their posts became direct evidence of port calls made in violation of international sanctions.

By the beginning of this year, the intensity of maritime shipments had declined dramatically. According to the report, “the Angara’s most recent voyage to the DPRK occurred in January 2026, while the Lady R likely set off for a new consignment of shells in March 2026, just before this report’s publication.” Various explanations have been put forward to explain the observed change in traffic: an increase in domestic Russian production, a decline in North Korean stocks, or the increased use of rail networks for such deliveries.

Neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has officially confirmed the delivery of ammunition, but both have acknowledged North Korea’s provision of military assistance to Russia — including the belated confirmation that several thousand North Korean soldiers were deployed to Russia’s Kursk Region following Ukrainian incursions there in 2024.