Moscow's despair. The United States found out that Russia is buying shells in the DPRK: experts suspect a massive failure
"After some lull in the disclosure of [intelligence], the US government again began to declassify information to draw attention to the problems of the Russian army, including recent reconnaissance on the purchase of Iranian drones and the problems of the Russian army with a set of soldiers," - reminds the US.
Video of the day, according to US officials, the decision of Russia to contact the Iran countries-Iran, and now the DPRK is a sign that sanctions and export control imposed by the United States and Europe are hindering Moscow fully providing their army with the necessary equipment and ammunition. Washington has not yet voiced the accurate data on what weapons Russia purchases in the DPRK when these purchases took place and what their volume took place.
However, US official representative made it clear that small -range missiles and artillery shells, except for which the Russian Federation will probably try to buy additional North Korean equipment in the future. The DPRK has significant reserves of ammunition, although the condition of the shells remains unclear, the publication writes.
The assessments of military specialists who have communicated with NYT journalists are unambiguous: the purchase of weapons in the DPRK testify to serious problems in the Russian army. "The Kremlin should bother the fact that it generally has to buy something in North Korea," says Mason Clark, the head of the Russian theme group at the Institute of War. The US official said the new DPRK agreement is testifying to Moscow.
And Frederick Kagan, a military expert of the American Institute of Entrepreneurship, believes that seeking military aid to North Korea is a sign that Russia is probably unable to produce even the simplest technique necessary for war against Ukraine. "The only reason why the Kremlin has to buy artillery shells or missiles in the DPRK or someone else is that Putin does not want or cannot mobilize the Russian economy for war, even at the most basic level," Kagan is convinced.
At the same time, he has doubts that the purchase of artillery shells in North Korea is related to export restrictions on the supply of Western equipment to the Russian Federation. In 152 mm artillery shells or rocket launchers, similar to Soviet Katyusha, which are produced in North Korea, there is nothing high-tech, reminiscent of Frederick Kagan.
However, US officials say that speaking of Russia's ability to restore its armed forces after significant losses in Ukraine, the sanctions of Europe and the US have proved effective enough. First of all, because they blocked Moscow the opportunity to buy weapons or electronics for the production of a new one. Moscow hoped that China would be ready to violate these sanctions and continue supplies to the Russian army, reminiscent of NYT.
However, Beijing still adheres to export restrictions and does not try to sell in the Russian Federation either military equipment or its components. In the US, China has been repeatedly warned that if Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, the largest Chinese computer chip manufacturer, or other companies will violate sanctions against Russia, the US will deprive them of US technologies that are needed by Chinese companies for semiconductors.
In the end, Russia had to focus on concluding agreements with Iran and North Korea - countries, which are also under rigid sanctions of the West and do not lose anything from cooperation with the Russian Federation. However, any agreement on the purchase of weapons in North Korea by Russia would be a violation of the UN resolutions aimed at deterring Pyongyang military power.
The restriction of the Russian military supply chain is the nucleus of the American strategy for weakening Moscow, NYT states. Over the past few months, both the course of the war in Ukraine and the new declassified in the USA have shown that Russia has problems with high -tech weapons.
"Russian reserves of high -precision weapons are depleted, which causes generals to rely on rockets less often, and instead build their strategy around cruel artillery shelling, which is devastating cities in the eastern regions of Ukraine," NYT reminds. New information that Russia needs more ammunition for artillery "is a sign that Moscow probably has deeper problems with providing than only a shortage of high -tech components for modern tanks or high -precision rockets.
" If Russia is looking for artillery shells in North Korea, then it is likely that they have a marriage or may encounter it in the future, and its industry seems to be unable to cover all the needs of war. "It is very likely that this indicates a massive failure of the Russian military-industrial complex, which probably has already released deep roots and will have very serious consequences for the Russian armed forces," Kagan said.
NYT also reminds of recent signs that the effectiveness of some Russian artillery shells has decreased due to problems with storage or poor service of ammunition arsenals. “In order for the enemy troops to strike most effectively, artillery shells must be broken in the air before falling to the ground.