Putin turns to North Korea for weapons

VLADIMIR Putin is being forced to buy artillery shells and rockets from North Korea to support his war in Ukraine.

US intelligence said the despot has turned to Pyongyang as Western sanctions cripple his ability to restock Moscow’s arsenal. ‘The Russian military continues to suffer from severe shortages, due in part to export controls and sanctions,’ one top aide said.

The declassified intelligence report that Putin will buy ‘millions’ of shells and rockets was first revealed in the New York Times this week. But officials declined to give further details as to the size of the planned order.

If confirmed, North Korea’s export arms would breach several UN resolutions banning the regime from buying or selling weapons abroad.