North Korean missile unit has begun arriving in western Russia and could support future strikes against Ukraine.
A Ukrainian military intelligence official has said that a North Korean missile unit has begun arriving in western Russia and could support future strikes against Ukraine, Reuters reported.
Andrii Cherniak, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence, said Moscow plans to station around 90 North Korean personnel with Russia’s 112th Missile Brigade in the Voronezh region.
The unit could eventually operate six launchers and receive up to 120 KN-23 and KN-24 ballistic missiles.
According to Ukrainian military sources, KN-23 and KN-24 missiles have greater range and larger payloads than Russia’s Iskander but are less accurate.
Their deployment would increase pressure on Ukraine’s limited ballistic missile defenses, which rely heavily on US-made Patriot systems.
A source familiar with the matter said Washington was aware of the deployment but provided no further details.
Neither Moscow nor Pyongyang responded to requests for comment, according to the report.
North Korean Military Support for Russia
North Korea reportedly supplied Moscow with approximately 150 KN-23 and KN-24 missiles between late 2023 and August 2025.
More recently, Russia reportedly launched two North Korean-made missiles, marking their first recorded use in Ukraine since August 2025.
Ukrainian authorities said one struck a home in Radushne, in the Dnipropetrovsk region, killing at least five members of the same family.
Further deliveries could place additional pressure on the war-torn country’s limited supply of Patriot interceptors, as ballistic missile defense remains one of the Kyiv's principal vulnerabilities.
Ukrainian officials also estimate that Pyongyang sent around 14,000 troops to Russia’s Kursk region, where they fought Ukrainian forces.
Last month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia was seeking an additional 30,000 troops and missile launchers from North Korea for its war against Kyiv.
