Investigation shows Russia received up to 11m shells from North Korea over two and a half years

Over the course of two and a half years, Moscow has received more than eight million artillery shells from Pyongyang, but now supplies have declined.

Source: Vazhnye Istorii (Important Stories), a Russian media outlet

Details: Vazhnye Istorii journalists obtained access to documents relating to all the movements of the vessels involved in transporting munitions from North Korea to Russia.

Working with British analysts from the Open Source Centre, Vazhnye Istorii calculated that over the course of two and a half years, four Russian vessels made at least 112 voyages to North Korea and delivered between 8 and 11 million rounds of ammunition for the Russian armed forces.

The Russian vessels claimed their destination was the South Korean port of Busan. Border guards assisted them by issuing documents listing South Korea as the destination. But the sailors revealed their true objective in photos they posted on social media: in one image, the location of one of the ships in North Korea could be seen on a navigation system screen. The actual routes can also be tracked via satellite.

Crew members were required to hand over their mobile phones before crossing the border, but they apparently ignored this order, posting over 60 photos and videos from their North Korean voyages online.

On average, North Korea supplied Russia with around 350,000 munitions per month, which required five voyages to transport. This number of shells could sustain roughly one month of Russian offensive operations.

Initial deliveries were overseen by Andrei Grinko, an experienced captain who had carried out secret assignments for Russia's Defence Ministry for years, including voyages to Syria and work on board the Ursa Major, which sank off the coast of Spain in late 2024. In Europe it is believed that the vessel had been carrying nuclear reactor components intended for a North Korean submarine.

Supplies began to decline as early as autumn 2024, when the average number of voyages dropped from five to three per month.

Since the beginning of 2026, Vazhnye Istorii and the Open Source Centre have identified only one delivery.

This may be connected to the fact that Russia has significantly increased its own shell production, while North Korea's stockpiles have been depleted.

In December 2025, Kim Jong Un ordered the construction of new military facilities and an increase in the production of missiles and shells.

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