James Byrne

For several years my team and I, at both RUSI and now at the Open Source Centre, have tracked and investigated North Korean UN sanctions evasion and wider procurement and proliferation operations."

Russia has increasingly encircled territory and then pummelled Ukrainian forces with artillery and glide bombs, according to Russian analysts, with the sheer numerical superiority of Moscow's artillery batteries and ammunition affording Putin's troops a significant advantage. Russian artillery divisions can be deployed in more locations and can sustain a much higher rate of fire than their Ukrainian counterparts, helping to scupper Kyiv's counterattacks while softening up defensive positions. A recent report published by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank and Open Source Centre estimated that Russian artillery attacks are responsible for some 70 per cent of Ukrainian casualties. Their research revealed that Russia's rate of artillery fire has averaged roughly 10,000 rounds per day since the early months of the war which saw peaks as high as 36,000 rounds per day.

RUSI's Open Source Intelligence and Analysis (OSIA) Director, James Byrne discusses the transfer of weapons from North Korea to Russia.