Contrary to some earlier predictions, South Korea has transferred more artillery shells to Ukraine than all the EU countries combined.
NATO 155mm artillery shells – illustrative photo. Image credit: U.S. Army photo by Capt. John Farmer
South Korea has become one of the largest suppliers of artillery shells to Ukraine, surpassing even all European countries in terms of supply size.
This fact was discussed in an article published in The Washington Post, which analyzed the Ukrainian military capabilities in the context of the ongoing war with the Russian Federation.
According to data obtained earlier this year, Ukraine received a large number of 155 mm artillery shells from South Korea. These shells were originally supplied to Seoul by the United States.
The exact number of delivered shells has not been specified, but the US estimates suggest that up to 330,000 units could be delivered.
The supply of artillery from South Korea was part of a wide range of international support to support the Ukrainian armed forces in their struggle for freedom.
South Korea’s “indirect” supply of 155-mm artillery shells to Ukraine this year has positioned it as a larger ammunition provider for the war-torn country. The Washington Post article addressed Russia’s prolonged war on Ukraine, and detailed Washington’s attempts to secure munitions from South Korea due to the U.S.’s limited shell production, falling far short of Ukraine’s monthly requirement of around 90,000 shells.
Despite South Korean law prohibiting the provision of weapons to conflict zones, U.S. officials worked to convince Seoul to indirectly supply munitions. The authors of the publication stated that these 155-mm shells could be transported by air and sea from Korea within 41 days.
It remains unclear whether Korea provided weapons to assist the U.S. in replenishing its depleted stockpiles after the U.S. supplied munitions to Ukraine or if South Korea’s munitions were directly delivered for use in the Ukrainian conflict.
Seoul has affirmed that its policy of not directly providing lethal weapons to Ukraine has not changed.
Written by Alius Noreika