North Korea profits billions aiding Russia in Ukraine war
North Korea has earned over $20 billion (CAD 27.7 billion) by supporting Russia in the war with Ukraine, according to a KIDA report. Thousands of soldiers and millions of pieces of ammunition have been sent from Pyongyang to the front. Over 4,000 North Koreans have died. Experts warn: this must end.
According to information published on Wednesday by the American magazine "Newsweek," North Korea's involvement in the war on Russia's side has brought Pyongyang a profit exceeding $20 billion (approx. CAD 27.7 billion).
The journal cites a report prepared by the South Korean research institute KIDA (Korea Institute for Defense Analyses).
The document indicates that the main source of income for Kim Jong Un's regime is ammunition supplies for the Russian army. Additionally, Pyongyang reportedly gained benefits from sending several thousand of its soldiers to the front. It is estimated that out of the 11,000 North Korean military personnel fighting on Russia's side, primarily in the Russian Kursk region, about 4,000 have died so far.
Analysts from KIDA indicate that North Korea most likely prefers to receive in-kind benefits and technological support from Moscow in exchange for its assistance.
The authors of the report emphasize the need for the war to end as soon as possible and for decisive actions to be taken to halt the military collaboration between Russia and Pyongyang.
"Newsweek" notes that KIDA's findings are consistent with analyses conducted by the Open Source Centre (OSC) and the Reuters agency. Both institutions estimated that from August 2023 to March 2025, North Korea will have provided Russia with over 15,800 containers of ammunition.
The analyses utilized satellite images and three-dimensional visualizations. It was determined that 64 transports carried out by four Russian ships could contain between approximately 4.6 to 6.4 million pieces of North Korean ammunition.
The challenging military situation on the front and the consequences of Western sanctions have forced Russia to seek military and economic support from its allies, including China, Iran, and North Korea.
