North Korea providing 50% of Russia's ammunition, Ukraine says

Pyongyang has already sent ballistic missiles and thousands of troops

20250223N Aftermath of a Russian missile strike in Kryvyi Rih

Rescuers work at the site of a Russian missile strike in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, on Feb. 23. (Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk region via Reuters)

February 24, 2025 01:47 JST

KYIV, Ukraine (Reuters) -- North Korea is providing 50% of Russia's ammunition needs at the front in its war against Ukraine, Kyiv's military spy chief Kyrylo Budanov said on Sunday.

North Korea has deployed thousands of troops to support Russian forces, according to Ukrainian, U.S. and South Korean assessments, Pyongyang's first major involvement in a war since the 1950s.