North Korean leader instructs production of more artillery shells
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has visited a munitions enterprise and called for boosting the production of artillery shells. Some experts estimate that 60 percent of the ammunition Russia is using to attack Ukraine is made in the North.
Saturday's edition of the ruling Workers' Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported that Kim inspected the enterprise's factory on Friday. It said the leader learned about the output for the first half of this year.
The paper said Kim pointed to the need to further expand the production capacity to increase the output of new powerful shells suitable for modern warfare.
A multinational team monitoring UN sanctions on North Korea said in a report released last month that Pyongyang supplied Moscow with as many as 9 million rounds of artillery and other ammunition in 2024 alone. The team was created by 11 nations, including Japan, the United States and South Korea.
North Korean media outlets reported last month that Kim toured a munitions plant, where he also instructed a further increase in the production of shells.
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