(ConservativeJournal.org) – North Korea may be responsible for a huge shipment of artillery ammunition being delivered to the Russians, according to South Korean officials. Defense Minister Shin Wok-sik told the corporate press on June 14 that their surveillance systems monitored at least 10,000 large shipping containers on their way to Russia from North Korea.
The North Koreans shipped Russian President Vladimir Putin dozens of missiles that have already been used in the war against Ukraine. Ukrainian allies are having a tough time keeping up; the U.S. has sent Ukraine just 300,000 rounds for long ranged artillery thus far with the majority coming from stockpiles laying around since the 1980s and earmarked for Israel. NATO has been struggling to produce 100,000 rounds per month and cannot keep up with North Korea’s manufacturing pace.
North Korea uses shoddy materials and effectively slave labor giving them a quantity advantage. U.S. officials highlighted that western products are superior in quality but the difference in numbers is large enough to give Russia the advantage. The same holds true for other items like body armor: manufacturing capacity simply isn’t where it needs to be and most of the items sent to Ukraine came out of stockpiles which have been exhausted.
Russia has been rumored to be planning a summer offensive and all that artillery ammunition will come in handy. When Russia has advanced previously, it uses long-ranged artillery to act as a shield clearing the way for its tanks and troops, pushing the Ukrainians back.
Ukraine has been quite candid about their situation: they’re losing the war and continue to suggest Russia will invade other European nations after defeating Ukraine. There’s been no evidence to suggest that is the case and Putin has been clear on his goals in the war. His priority has been getting Kyiv to stop its attacks on ethnic Russians in the Donbas and Crimea, getting a guarantee that Ukraine will never join NATO, and establishing new Republics of Luhansk and Donetsk from previously Ukrainian territory.
A Russian-proposed ceasefire agreement was rejected by Kyiv on June 14. Putin promised an immediate halt to military activity if Ukraine agreed to withdraw troops from Russian-controlled areas. Other conditions include guaranteeing Ukraine will not possess or seek nuclear weapons or join NATO, protections for Russian-speakers in Ukraine, and recognizing Crimea as a Russian state.
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