Russia forced to import North Korean military kit, according to British intelligence

The letter Z, which has become the Russian emblem for the war, is seen on a damaged car in the freed village of Hrakove, Ukraine (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

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.