Access to Russian technology will accelerate North Korea's development and deployment of stealthy submarines capable of carrying missiles with nuclear warheads. This opinion was expressed by military expert Brandon J. Weichert in the article "Why the Russia-North Korea Alliance Matters So Much" for The National Interest.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un previously ordered the modernization of the shipbuilding industry to strengthen the country's Navy. This is necessary to counter the United States and South Korea in the region. And Russia is providing Pyongyang with real assistance, Weichert claims.
South Korean intelligence reported that Russia supplied North Korea with components for submarine reactors in the first half of 2025. In addition, Moscow, according to intelligence agencies, is helping Pyongyang with submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) systems and other technologies that can be used in nuclear submarines.
What Benefit Does Russia Get from This Partnership?
Military-technical cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang is mutually beneficial. Russia allegedly received "a huge number of rockets and artillery shells" from North Korea, the expert claims. This refers to ammunition of 122 mm and 152 mm caliber, as well as Hwasong-11 missiles and Bulsae-4 anti-tank weapons. In response, Western countries are developing new sanctions packages.
But economic restrictions have failed to stop the Russian defense industry (OPK). North Korea has also adapted to sanctions, so Kim Jong-un is unlikely to be greatly concerned about their strengthening.
The Russia-North Korea alliance could disrupt the balance of power on the Korean Peninsula. This is fraught with strengthening Pyongyang's influence in the region, Weichert concluded.
Read More on This Topic:
- "Pyongyang Insistently Asked": South Korean Intelligence Claims Russia Transferred Decommissioned Components of a Nuclear Submarine Installation to North Korea
- The Times: Improved North Korean KN-23 Ballistic Missiles Have Become Comparable in Accuracy to Russian Iskanders
- Russian Pantsirs Sent to North Korea Deployed to Defend Pyongyang
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