A senior Ukrainian government official says his country has started domestic production of 155 millimeter artillery shells — a type of ammunition widely used by the militaries of NATO member states.
Presidential advisor Oleksandr Kamyshin revealed this during an interview with a Norwegian media outlet. He served as Ukraine’s minister for strategic industries until earlier this month.
Kamyshin said domestic production of defense equipment has doubled in the 18-month period through this month, and that he expects it to triple by the end of the year.
Faced with shortages of weapons and ammunition, Ukraine plans to further ramp up domestic production in addition to relying on supplies from Western nations.
Meanwhile, Russia’s embassy in North Korea said on social media on Monday that North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui left for Russia. It said the minister is scheduled to attend international conferences to be held in St. Petersburg between Wednesday and Friday.
Moscow and Pyongyang have been shoring up ties since the onset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Last week, former Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu, who currently serves as secretary of Russia’s Security Council, met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang.