N.Korea 'Sent 1 Million Artillery Shells to Russia'

North Korea sent more than a million artillery shells to Russia since August to help Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, the National Intelligence Service here claimed Wednesday.

That would be enough to unleash on Ukraine for more than two months, the spy agency added.

People Power Party lawmaker Yoo Sang-bum quoted the NIS as saying in a closed-door meeting the North has sent a dozen shipments of various kinds of weapons including artillery shells by ship and cargo plane to Russia.

In mid-October the North also dispatched rocket launcher specialists to Russia to teach soldiers how to use the weapons, Yoo added.

The NIS also believes that the North is currently in the final preparation for a third attempt to launch a military spy satellite after two earlier failures. It seems the North received technical help from Russia and the probability of success seems much higher this time.

Meanwhile, the spy agency said China is likely forcibly to repatriate more North Korea defectors after sending hundreds back in a concerted night-and-fog operation last month.

NIS chief Kim Kyou-hyun denied that his agency knew the repatriations were coming.