A North Korean missile unit has begun deploying to western Russia and could be equipped with 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers for attacks on Ukraine, according to an official from Ukraine’s military intelligence agency.
The reported deployment would mark a significant expansion of military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, which has already supplied Russia with ballistic missiles, artillery shells and troops since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Ukraine’s military intelligence said Russia plans to station about 90 North Korean personnel in the Voronezh region within its 112th Missile Brigade. Andrii Cherniak, an official with Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence, said Pyongyang has already delivered a new batch of 40 KN-23 and KN-24 ballistic missiles, along with personnel, to Russia.
According to Cherniak, the final deployment plan and total number of missiles are expected to be agreed during high-level talks next month, with Russia ultimately seeking to deploy about 120 North Korean ballistic missiles and six launchers.
It remains unclear what role North Korean personnel would play in Russia’s missile operations.
Ukraine has struggled with shortages of advanced air defence systems, while Russia has increasingly relied on ballistic missiles, which are more difficult to intercept.
The reported deployment follows what Ukrainian officials described as Russia’s first use of newly delivered North Korean-made missiles since August 2025. Last week, Ukrainian authorities said a North Korean missile struck a residential house in the village of Radushne, killing at least five members of the same family.
Cherniak said the attack marked the first confirmed use of the newly delivered missiles and added that while the KN-23 and KN-24 have greater range and payload than Russia’s Iskander missiles, they are less accurate and have been associated with strikes causing high civilian casualties.
Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, said the additional ballistic missiles would pose a serious challenge to Ukraine, particularly given the country’s limited missile defence capabilities.
He warned that Ukraine’s air defences could come under even greater strain during the winter if Russia resumes large-scale attacks on the country’s power infrastructure.
The Russian Defence Ministry and North Korea’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
North Korea has emerged as one of Russia’s closest military partners since the war began. The two countries signed a mutual defence pact in 2024, while Ukrainian officials say Pyongyang has supplied Russia with millions of artillery shells and deployed about 14,000 troops to Russia’s Kursk region to help repel a Ukrainian incursion in 2024.
Cherniak also said about 9,500 North Korean troops remain stationed in Russia’s Kursk region but are not currently engaged in direct combat operations inside Ukraine.
Last month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia was preparing to receive an additional 30,000 North Korean troops in the Voronezh region.
The claims made by Ukrainian officials have not been independently verified. Russia and North Korea have not publicly commented on the reported missile unit deployment.
Ojo Triumph
