North Korea is set to send another tranche of artillery systems to Russia, Kyrylo Budanov said.The Ukrainian intel chief said Pyongyang already has about 240 artillery systems in Russia.These are chiefly homegrown self-propelled howitzers and multiple-launch rocket systems.North Korea looks like it's ready to double down on Russia's war, per Ukraine's military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov.Budanov, head of the intelligence agency GUR, told The Warzone that Pyongyang has already given Russia at least 120 M1989 "Koksan" self-propelled howitzers and 120 M1991 multiple-launch rocket systems. The M1989 uses a 170-mm caliber gun, and the M1991 is a 240-mm system.Per The Warzone, Budanov said the artillery deliveries were made over the last three months, and that Pyongyang will likely send another tranche of about the same number.Both guns are systems developed by North Korea, and their names designated by the US correspond to the year when Western intelligence first discovered them. Ukraine said that North Korea has sent 120 of its M1991 multiple-launch rocket systems to Russia. AP Photo/Wong Maye-E Pyongyang maintains deep reserves of artillery systems and ammunition, built and stockpiled mainly to defend against or threaten its rival, South Korea.Its systems often use some elements of Soviet or Chinese weaponry. The M1989, for example, is believed to use a modified Soviet artillery tractor to get around.These are also a step up from the 1970s-built North Korean weaponry that Russia was observed using in 2024. This picture released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency in April 2017 shows M1989 howitzers during a military parade in Pyongyang. STR/AFP via Getty Images Speaking to The Warzone, Budanov said both guns are being used by Russia against Ukrainian troops, and that North Korea is helping to train Russian operators to use the systems."The 170mm weapons have powerful ammunition and good capability," Budanov said. "The 240mm MLRS are like any other heavy systems. They make more problems on the front line."Additionally, Budanov said North Korea is expected to send another 150 short-range ballistic missiles to Russia, after sending about 148 in 2024.Intelligence agencies from the West and South Korea also say that Pyongyang has also sent Russia about 12,000 troops from its elite "Storm Corps" units.Western estimates say they've taken heavy casualties since arriving in late 2024 to Kursk. One of the latest tallies, reported by the BBC this week, cites anonymous Western officials saying that 4,000 of the North Koreans were killed or wounded. Business Insider could not independently verify the authenticity of this figure.Pyongyang's losses in Kursk pale in comparison to the scope of the entire war, with some Western estimates saying that Russia has suffered more than 600,000 men wounded or killed.However, recurring North Korean support would provide Russia with a valuable source of manpower and weapons. While relatively small compared to Russia's total war consumption, that aid could stand a chance to frustrate Western hopes that Moscow's reliance on defense spending will become unsustainable for its economy.The Kremlin's defense budget has surged for the third year since invading Ukraine in 2022. Military spending made up 32.5% of its federal budget in 2025, up from 28.3% in 2024.