North Korean missile unit has begun deployment in western Russia, Reuters reported, citing Andrii Cherniak, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Defense Ministry. According to him, this involves approximately 90 North Korean military personnel as part of Russia's 112th Missile Brigade in Voronezh Oblast.
"Pyongyang has already sent Russia a new batch of 40 KN-23 and KN-24 missiles and personnel, but the deployment configuration and total number of missiles will be finalized during high-level negotiations next month," Cherniak said.
Russia expects the deployment to include 120 North Korean ballistic missiles and six launch systems. The role of North Korean personnel in future missile operations has not yet been clarified.
Context of Use
Last week, Russia fired its first KN-23/24 missiles since August 2025 at Ukraine — one of them hit a residential building in the village of Radushne, killing at least five members of one family. According to Cherniak, this was the first recorded case of using a missile from the new batch of 40 units.
The KN-23 and KN-24 have greater range and payload capacity compared to the Russian "Iskander," but are significantly inferior in accuracy — Ukrainian military sources attribute this to an increased number of civilian casualties when these missiles are used.
In total, from late 2023 to August 2025, North Korea supplied Russia with 150 such missiles. Their use fits into a broader pattern: Moscow is increasing the share of ballistic strikes, as they can primarily be intercepted by American Patriot systems, which Ukraine critically lacks.
Broader Cooperation
Currently, approximately 9,500 North Korean military personnel are located in Kursk Oblast, but they are not directly involved in combat operations against Ukraine. Meanwhile, according to Zelenskyy's statement a month earlier, the Kremlin is counting on an additional 30,000 North Korean troops and is preparing infrastructure in Voronezh Oblast to receive them.
The deployment of the missile unit will be another step in the military alliance formalized by the 2024 mutual defense pact. The question that remains open is whether the role of North Korean personnel will be limited to technical maintenance of launch systems, or whether next month's negotiations will legalize their direct participation in strikes against Ukrainian cities.
