North Korean Missile Unit Deploys to Russia for Ukraine War

KUALA LUMPUR, AUGUST 2026 – A North Korean missile unit has begun deploying to western Russia as Moscow seeks to expand its ballistic missile capabilities in the war against Ukraine, according to a Ukrainian military intelligence official.

Andrii Cherniak of Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence said the unit could include around 90 North Korean personnel and may be based in Russia’s western Voronezh region as part of the country’s 112th Missile Brigade.

Russia is expected to receive up to 120 North Korean ballistic missiles and six launchers under the proposed deployment, Cherniak said.

However, the final configuration and total number of weapons are expected to be discussed during high-level talks scheduled for next month.

Pyongyang has reportedly already delivered a new batch of 40 KN-23 and KN-24 ballistic missiles, along with personnel, to Russia.

It remains unclear what role the North Korean personnel would play in Russian missile operations, including whether they would directly operate the launch systems or provide technical and logistical support.

Reuters said it could not independently verify the claims, which Cherniak said were based on intelligence that could not be publicly disclosed.

Russia’s Defence Ministry and North Korea’s diplomatic representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Ukraine is facing a serious shortage of advanced air-defence interceptors, while Russia has increasingly relied on ballistic missiles that are difficult to destroy.

Analysts warn that a larger supply of North Korean missiles could place even greater pressure on Ukraine’s air-defence network, particularly during the winter if Russia renews large-scale attacks against the country’s electricity infrastructure.

Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, said any increase in the number of ballistic missiles available to Russia would present a significant challenge for Kyiv because ballistic missile defence remains one of Ukraine’s greatest vulnerabilities.

Russia has used dozens of North Korean ballistic missiles against Ukraine since late 2023.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, North Korea supplied around 150 KN-23 and KN-24 missiles between late 2023 and August 2025.

The KN-23 and KN-24 missiles are believed to carry larger warheads and offer greater range than Russia’s Iskander missiles, although Ukrainian military sources describe them as less accurate.

Their reported use has been associated with attacks that caused heavy civilian casualties.

Ukraine said Russia recently fired two North Korean missiles for the first time since August 2025.

One of the weapons was reportedly used in an attack on the central Ukrainian village of Radushne, where a residential home was destroyed and at least five members of one family were killed.

The planned missile-unit deployment would represent a further expansion of defence ties between Russia and North Korea, which have strengthened considerably since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The two countries signed a mutual defence pact in 2024, while North Korea has reportedly supplied Russia with millions of artillery shells and thousands of troops.

Ukrainian officials estimate that about 9,500 North Korean soldiers remain in Russia’s Kursk region, although they are not currently believed to be directly participating in operations against Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has also claimed that Moscow wants Pyongyang to send an additional 30,000 troops and is preparing facilities to receive them in the Voronezh region.