North Korean Missile Unit Deploying to Western Russia, Ukrainian Intelligence Says

A North Korean missile unit has begun deploying to the Voronezh region of western Russia, according to an official from Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR). The unit reportedly consists of approximately 90 personnel and could be equipped with six launchers and up to 120 ballistic missiles. Andrii Cherniak, a member of the GUR, stated that North Korea has already sent 40 KN-23 and KN-24 missiles and related personnel to Russia. These claims follow reports that North Korean ballistic missiles were used to strike a village in central Ukraine last week, killing at least five people. Reuters could not independently verify these claims.

This deployment is part of a broader military partnership between Russia and North Korea. Estimates of North Korean troop presence in Russia have varied. While initial assessments from the US, South Korea, and Ukraine placed the number between 10,000 and 12,000 in late 2024, later estimates for the Kursk region reached 14,000 to 15,000. A Ukrainian official recently stated that around 9,500 North Korean troops remain in Kursk, though they were not then directly involved in operations. Russia and North Korea confirmed in April 2025 that North Korean troops had fought Ukrainian forces in Kursk.

Beyond combat troops, Russia has sought additional support. In June 2025, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said North Korea would send 1,000 sappers and 5,000 military construction workers to clear mines and rebuild infrastructure in Kursk. North Korea has also supplied millions of artillery and mortar rounds, as well as ballistic missiles. One analysis found 64 cargo ship voyages to North Korea's Rajin port between September 2023 and March 2025, transporting nearly 16,000 containers of ammunition. Ukrainian officials claim North Korea provides about half of the munitions Russia needs on the front lines.

The cooperation is based on a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty signed in June 2024, which includes mutual assistance if either country faces external aggression. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has defended the deployment as an exercise of sovereign rights to defend a brother nation. Analysts suggest Pyongyang is receiving hard currency, oil, and technical assistance in exchange for its support.