DPRK could transfer weapons worth up to $5.5 billion to Russia: what was on the list

North Korea has significantly increased its revenues through cooperation with Russia. Since the beginning of the full-scale war against Ukraine, the DPRK has transferred weapons worth between $1.7 billion and $5.5 billion to Russia.

This is stated in a study by the German Friedrich Naumann Foundation. According to experts, Pyongyang's revenues could increase by hundreds of millions of dollars more, given that it sends its soldiers to Russia.

The researchers note that the exact cost of North Korean weapons is unknown, but North Korea has experience selling weapons at prices both above and below market prices. According to minimum estimates, Russia could have paid $1.7 billion for the shells and missiles: $300 for a 152 mm shell, $150 for a 122 mm shell, and $1.5 million for a KN-23/24 missile.

According to the maximum estimate, the cost of North Korean weapons for the Russian Federation could reach $5.5 billion: $1,000 for a 152 mm shell, $500 for a 122 mm shell, and $3 million for a KN-23/24 missile.

The Foundation suggests that Moscow is likely to have received only two batches of North Korean KN-23 and KN-24 missiles – in the fall of 2023 and the summer of 2024. Each batch probably consisted of 50 units. The rest of the supplies are artillery shells and other weapons.

Experts note that North Korea's revenues could increase by hundreds of millions of dollars by sending its military to Russia.

"Given the significant monetary rewards promised by the Kremlin to foreign fighters, the Kim regime may see sending troops to Ukraine as an opportunity to improve its financial situation. Even according to conservative estimates, Kim Jong Un could potentially accumulate from $143 million to $572 million in additional annual income if he allocated 5,000 to 20,000 people to support Russia's military efforts," the study says.

According to experts, North Korea could hypothetically afford to deploy up to 100,000 troops in Ukraine, but this is unlikely.

"In order not to jeopardize the stability of the North Korean regime and given the risk of soldiers' escape and limited resources, sending more than 20,000 soldiers seems unlikely," the study says.

As a reminder, on October 23, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that Washington has "evidence of the presence of DPRK troops in Russia." North Atlantic Alliance spokeswoman Farah Dakhlallah also confirmed that NATO has evidence of this.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said that his country "will not sit idly by" and will take steps in response. According to him, Seoul will take the necessary measures depending on the scale of military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow. In particular, it may reconsider its position on providing weapons to Ukraine, Yoon said.

Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin indirectly confirmed the participation of the North Korean military in the war against Ukraine. He did not deny it, but used a familiar trick, once again trying to shift the entire responsibility for the escalation of the conflict to Western countries.

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