Vladimir Putin’s forces are being forced to source equipment from North Korea and Iran as the impacts of sanctions and military losses in Ukraine bite, defence experts believe.
British defence intelligence analysts think that Moscow is “increasingly sourcing weaponry from other heavily sanctioned states” as its own stockpiles are depleted.
An update published by the UK’s Ministry of Defence pointed to claims that Ukrainian forces had shot down an Iranian-made drone as evidence of Moscow’s use of systems sourced from Tehran.
Ukraine claimed it shot down the drone near Kupiansk as part of the offensive that has punched through Russian lines around Kharkiv on the eastern front.
The image suggested the Shahed “suicide drone” had been shot down by Ukrainian forces and had not detonated on impact as designed, though little information was released by the authorities in Kyiv.
If it makes everyone feel better, Justin relies on South Korea to pull its fat out of the fire:
Canada has asked the government of South Korea to produce and deliver more artillery rounds to backfill supplies that Ottawa sent to war-torn Ukraine.
(Sidebar: this article is dated June of this year.)
What’s worse is that Justin will bore South Korean president Yoon Sok-yeol later on this month.
Poor Mr. Yoon.
