2023-04-30 09:37:54
Japan’s Tokyo Shimbun reported on the 29th that North Korea is providing 10,000 shells to the Wagner Group, a Russian mercenary company participating in the war in Ukraine.
Tokyo Shimbun%27s exclusive: North Korea plans to send 10,000 shells to Russian PMC Wagner Group by rail by early May https://t.co/qxlendmciM
— Thoton Akimoto (@AkimotoThn) April 29, 2023
The Tokyo Shimbun quoted a source familiar with North Korea’s internal affairs and explained that it plans to transport these shells by rail from the end of this month to the beginning of next month.
The newspaper explained that the train carrying the artillery shells departs from Tumangang Station in Rason, a border city in North Korea, passes Hassan Station in Russia’s Primorsky Krai, and goes to Vladivostok.
Regarding this approach, the newspaper analyzed that “the two countries seem to have taken a path that symbolizes friendship and cooperation.”
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited Russia along the same route in April 2019 and had his first meeting with President Vladimir Putin.
The source told the newspaper that “this deal is in accordance with the will of the Russian government”.
■ “Intention of the Russian Government”
In this regard, the White House announced on the 30th of last month that Russia is offering food and raw materials to North Korea in exchange for ammunition to be used on the battlefield in Ukraine.
See also: White House “Russia seeks to provide food and ammunition to North Korea”…Russia orders American journalist to be detained for 2 months “The reason is top secret”
“We know that Russia is seeking to send a delegation to North Korea and that it is providing food in exchange for ammunition,” White House National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby told a briefing at the time.
“As part of the proposed deal, Russia will receive over 24 types of arms and ammunition from Pyongyang,” it said.
Kirby went on to point out that “arms trade between North Korea and Russia is a direct violation of UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea.”
However, on the 29th, the Tokyo Shimbun commented that it was not clear whether this transaction between North Korea and the Wagner Group was part of the plan pointed out by Kirby Coordinator.
■ Seeking help from North Korea to address ammunition shortages
It has been steadily emerging recently that Russia is seeking help from North Korea to relieve its ammunition shortage, which has become serious due to the prolonged invasion of Ukraine.
This is the second time, after November of last year, that the specific date, place, and method of the transaction were captured and disclosed to the outside.
Previously, the White House released satellite photos of the arms transfer in January, explaining that the trains were leaving Russia and arriving in North Korea on November 18 last year, respectively.
See also: White House releases satellite image of arms deal between North Korea and Russia mercenary group… “Share information with the Security Council”
■ Chief Wagner “Withdraw if ammunition is not replenished”
Since Russia has exhausted a significant amount of ammunition for about 14 months since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24 last year, it seems that it is struggling to find a way to fill it.
In particular, due to the effects of sanctions led by the US and Western countries, it is not easy to operate military factories even if they have their own production capacity.
In the midst of this, Yevgeny Prigozin, the founder of the Wagner Group, warned on the 29th that ammunition shortages would lead to the collapse of the Russian front.
#Wagner Group financier Yevgeny #Prigozhin threatened to withdraw Wagner forces from #Bakhmut if the #Russian military command fails to provide more ammunition to Wagner mercenaries.Our latest: https://t.co/4UQSbj7mpa pic.twitter.com/kpcff7iWDR
— ISW (@TheStudyofWar) April 29, 2023
In an interview with a Russian military blogger published on the same day, the founder of Prigozin said, “Because there is no ammunition, Bahmut’s (mercenary) deaths are five times more (than other battle sites).” sending,” he said.
The founder of Prigozhin went on to say that he had asked Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to send ammunition as soon as possible.
He added that if they don’t replenish their ammunition, they “will either die or have to withdraw so they don’t run away like cowardly rats.”
The place where the founder of Prigozin mentioned withdrawal is Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, the eastern part of the fiercest battleground.
Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts, Donbass Region, Eastern Ukraine
A withdrawal from Bakhmut could mean a continuous collapse of Russia’s front elsewhere, the founder of Prigozin stressed.
■ Ukraine ‘Great Counterattack’ Visualized
In an interview on the same day (29th), the founder of Prigozin also pointed out that the Russian military authorities are not actively responding, even though the Ukrainian army’s ‘counterattack’ is expected to begin in earnest before the 15th of next month.
While Ukraine predicted a “spring counterattack” against Russia’s invasion, Russia moved major weapons and equipment and entered a defensive posture by digging new trenches.
See also: Ukrainian counteroffensive-Russian defense readiness captured by satellite… US European commander “Russian ground forces are more than at the beginning of the war”
In this situation, on the same day (29th), an attack presumed to be a drone strike occurred at the Russian Black Sea Fleet headquarters in the Crimean Peninsula, resulting in a large-scale explosion.
“At least 10 oil tanks with a capacity of about 40,000 tons used by the Russian Black Sea Fleet have been destroyed,” the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff said on the same day.
See also: Massive explosion at Russia’s Black Sea Fleet headquarters, suspected drone strike…Putin orders expulsion of Ukrainians from occupied territories
Ukrainian military authorities claimed that a total of 400,000 tons of oil disappeared into the air in smoke, which was enough to paralyze the Russian military for a while.
However, they did not say whether the attack was carried out by them.
This is VOA News Jongsu Oh.
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