Russians Shell Kherson with Cluster Munitions from North Korea

Russian forces used North Korean cluster munitions during the shelling of Kherson.

KHERSON: Non Fake Telegram channel published photographs with Korean markings and reported a morning shelling of the coastal areas in the city center.

According to the channel’s report, after 04:30 a.m., the Russian artillery delivered “regular morning strikes” using cluster warheads. After the shelling, submunitions with Korean inscriptions began to be found in the city.

These submunitions are part of a cluster shell fired from a multiple rocket launcher. After being dropped, the shell casing opens above the target, dispersing a large number of submunitions over areas with people or equipment.

North Korean submunitions have a tail fin for vertical stabilization and a ribbon loop that slows their descent. Air resistance causes the ribbon to create a torque that positions the fuse for firing.

As a result of this mechanism, submunitions can cause scattered damage over a large area, increasing the risk of civilian casualties and complicating the demining of affected areas.

The use of cluster munitions is a cause for concern due to their wide area of destruction and the long-term risk they pose to local residents. Representatives of humanitarian and human rights organizations traditionally emphasize the danger of such weapons in densely populated areas.

Supplies from North Korea

North Korea has become a significant source of artillery ammunition for Russia. Since the second half of 2023, large shipments of 152 mm and 122 mm shells, rockets for multiple launch rocket systems, and KN-23 and KN-24 ballistic missiles have been arriving in Russia.

Ukrainian and international experts have already recorded the use of these munitions on the battlefield, and fragments of North Korean missiles have been found in Ukraine.

Estimates of the volume of supplies vary. According to various intelligence and research centers, Russia has received millions of shells.

The transport chain is set up via sea container shipping, after which the cargo is delivered to Russian ports and transported by rail deeper into the country.

These supplies have become critically important for the Kremlin, as its own production cannot keep up with the rate of ammunition consumption at the front. At the same time, for Pyongyang, this is an opportunity to obtain currency, fuel, food, and technological support from Moscow.