North Korea deploys a missile unit in Russia to launch strikes against Ukraine
North Korea has begun deploying a missile unit in western Russia that could receive up to 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers for strikes against Ukraine.
According to Reuters, citing Ukrainian military intelligence representative Andrii Chernyak, approximately 90 North Korean military personnel are planned to be stationed in the Voronezh region as part of Russia's 112th Missile Brigade. Pyongyang has already transferred a new batch of 40 KN-23 and KN-24 missiles to Russia, but the unit's final configuration and total amount of ammunition are to be determined next month.
Thus, reports of 120 missiles do not yet mean that the entire quantity is already on Russian territory. It refers to the possible full equipping of the unit after its formation is complete.
The transfer of North Korean missiles to the Russian army has been ongoing for more than a year. Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate reported back in November 2024 that North Korea had supplied Russia with over 100 KN-23 and KN-24 missiles. Along with the ammunition, North Korean military specialists who serviced the launchers arrived in the Russian Federation.
At the end of July, Kurs Ukrainy wrote that Russia's first use of a North Korean missile in a long time could indicate the arrival of a new batch of weapons. The resumption of such launches posed a risk of intensified missile attacks after Russian stockpiles were replenished.
It pertained to a strike on the night of July 30 on the village of Radushne near Kryvyi Rih. At that time, Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that preliminary data pointed to the use of a North Korean ballistic missile, although its type and origin were to be definitively confirmed after examining the debris. The President also called on partners to speed up the delivery of missiles for Patriot systems and other air defense complexes.
Russian forces have been using KN-23 and KN-24 against Ukraine since late 2023. Ukrainian experts determine their origin by features of the hull design, engines, and electronic components. The Main Intelligence Directorate also discovered foreign-made components in these missiles, including parts manufactured shortly before the ammunition was transferred to Russia.
The deployment of a separate North Korean unit would signify a further deepening of military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang—from supplies of weapons and technical specialists to the direct participation of North Korean military personnel in preparing missile strikes. At the same time, the reported number of missiles, the unit's composition, and the timelines for its full deployment remain an assessment by Ukrainian intelligence.
Based on materials from: Reuters, Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate
