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Moscow has burned through Soviet reserves: more weapons from China, North Korea and Iran

According to the Kyiv School of Economics, Russia is halving its domestic supplies and relying increasingly on external suppliers, including Pyongyang, Tehran and even Beijing

With its large-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has significantly depleted its vast stockpiles of Soviet-era weapons. According to a new analysis by the Kyiv School of Economics Institute (KSE), shipments from major Russian depots will fall from a peak of 242,000 tonnes in 2022 to 119,000 tonnes in 2025. ‘Russia is sending fewer materials for refurbishment and repair than we know the workshops can handle. The best quality and easily repairable equipment would have been the first to be moved,’ Pavlo Shkurenko, an analyst at the KSE Institute, told the Financial Times.

Since the beginning of the conflict, Moscow has sought to repurpose decommissioned equipment, such as T-72 and T-80 tanks dating back to the 1970s, and even T-54s from the 1940s, for front-line use. However, some military experts warn that the reduction in deliveries should not be interpreted as a sure sign of the Russian forces’ loss of effectiveness. According to sources cited by the Financial Times, Russian tactics have evolved to make more limited use of armoured vehicles, and Moscow is also rebuilding its stocks through new investments.

The KSE report also points to Russia’s growing dependence on its Asian allies, with the defence industry receiving key supplies from China and the armed forces relying heavily on North Korean ammunition. In 2024, approximately 52% of shipments labelled as “explosive materials” destined for Russian arsenals came from Nakhodka, a port city on the Sea of Japan used by Pyongyang. Such shipments rose from zero before the invasion to 250,000 tonnes per year.

This assessment is consistent with recent statements by the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, that North Korea supplied 40% of the ammunition used by Russia. According to Budanov, Moscow plans to spend approximately $1.1 trillion over the next 11 years on rearmament, preparing for a prolonged conflict.

South Korean intelligence has also confirmed that Pyongyang has shipped at least 28,000 containers to Russia, containing ammunition, howitzers, ballistic missiles and even troops. The KSE report also reveals that approximately 13,000 tonnes of explosive materials are believed to have arrived from Iran, tracked through analysis of logistics entry points located near the Caspian Sea.

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