Russia is currently firing some 14 million shells a year in Ukraine. They are only manufacturing 2 million. The Ukrainians, on the other hand, are firing around 2.5 million shells a year, but are also struggling to source them.
A deal between North Korea and Russia for artillery rounds, which the respective leaders have said they are “actively advancing”, is a simple solution to Russia’s problem. But it is a deal that is fraught with dangers for global stability.
The sanctions on Russia since their invasion of Ukraine have limited where they can buy military equipment, including artillery rounds: it has made requests to China, Iran and now North Korea. China has been warm but publicly resisted directly supplying equipment into the battlefield.
