Among all of Moscow’s allies, North Korea poses the greatest problem for Ukraine due to its massive artillery shell deliveries to Russia, which are being used on the frontlines in Ukraine. This was stated by the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence (GUR), Kyrylo Budanov, during the Yalta European Strategy conference in Kyiv, AFP reports.
“Out of all of Russia’s allies, our biggest problem is North Korea because of the volume of military supplies they are providing, which truly affects the intensity of the fighting,” Budanov said.
He highlighted that North Korean authorities are delivering vast amounts of artillery ammunition, which is critical for Ukraine. “Unfortunately, we can’t do anything about it at the moment,” he admitted.
Budanov also noted that while North Korea is supplying ballistic missiles, this is a less severe issue due to their smaller quantities.
The United States and South Korea have accused Pyongyang of providing Russia with ammunition and missiles to support its invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022. North Korea denies these allegations, but a recent report by the investigative organization Conflict Armament Research confirmed that missiles produced in North Korea this year are being used in Ukraine.
Budanov further mentioned that Russia has made “considerable progress” in producing Iskander ballistic missiles and has multiplied its use of glide bombs, which are being employed to hit both civilian and military targets in Ukraine.
“We are now clearly seeing the massive use of Iskander-M missiles across Ukraine, while glide bombs are a huge issue on the frontline, where they are deployed against Ukrainian forces,” he stated.
The general estimated that despite being on the offensive, Russia will likely try to end the war “before 2026” to avoid weakening its position due to mounting economic problems caused by Western sanctions and mobilization amid heavy losses on the battlefield.
Budanov, whose department is known for bold operations deep inside Russian territory, dismissed Western fears of an escalation in the conflict, Europe’s worst armed confrontation since World War II.
“All these dilemmas: Will there be escalation? What escalation? There won’t be any,” he said, urging Western allies not to be afraid of supplying more advanced weaponry to Ukraine.
“Ukrainians, exhausted after two and a half years of war, will keep fighting,” Budanov assured. “We are fighting for our land and have no other choice. We can’t just say: ‘We are tired, that’s it, we’re leaving.’ This is our strength,” he concluded.
