Russia continues to receive lethal weapons from Iran and North Korea - ISW

Russia continues to deepen bilateral relations with Iran and North Korea in exchange for the provision of lethal aid to the Russian military for use in Ukraine.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said this in a Russian offensive campaign assessment for July 27, Ukrinform reports.

Iranian state-affiliated media outlet Mehr News Agency reported on July 23 that Iran will launch its "Hod Hod" and "Kosar" satellites into low earth orbit from an unspecified Russian station in October 2024.

ISW sees a link between Russia's participation in the launch of satellites and the supply to Russia of Iranian-made Shahed-136/131 drones and components.

As for North Korea, South Korea's Bank of Korea estimated that North Korea's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 3.1 percent in 2023 compared to 2022 after annual contractions since 2019. North Korea's heavy and chemical industries, particularly the production of iron, steel, copper, nickel, and aluminum, grew the most in 2023 by 8.1 percent.

South Korean Defense Minister Shin Wonsik previously stated that Russia's provision of food to North Korea in exchange for weapons helped North Korea stabilize prices and likely boosted North Korean domestic manufacturing.

North Korea has reportedly transferred as many as 4.8 million artillery shells to Russia, and Iran has supplied Shahed-136/131 drones and components to Russia.

Photo: Pool