North Korean-Made Ammo Creates Quality Problems in Russia

Claims have emerged that Russia is facing difficulties due to low-quality artillery shells after receiving weapons from North Korea to replenish its ammunition depleted by the war in Ukraine.

According to Ukrainian military media outlets like Defense Express and others on the 12th (local time), recent images of disassembled North Korean-made NDT-3 152mm artillery shells being utilized by the Russian military were disclosed on a Telegram channel.

According to the analysis, all five randomly selected shells had different quantities and qualities of nitroglycerin (propellant) loaded, suggesting that the combustion intensity might not be consistent.

Furthermore, there were instances where the shells were not adequately sealed, which raised concerns about potential quality deterioration due to moisture exposure. It was also noted that numerous shells lacked the wire components required to extract the copper powder inside.

The media analyzed, “The firing range of the shells could be reduced, and the accuracy could decrease as the number of firings increases.” They added, “The fact that these problems appear in just five samples reflects quality defects. North Korea’s planned economy prioritizes quantity over quality control and contributes to these quality defects.”

Claims have also been made that a ‘self-destruction’ accident occurred while the Russian military was using shells presumed to be North Korean-made.

In a video recently posted on X, a Russian military BM-21 tank was utterly damaged due to an internal explosion. Military expert blogger speculated, “It looks like a clear internal explosion and defective shells are the cause. It could be either Russian or North Korean-made.”

By. Hee Won Seo