North Korea May Deploy Missile Unit to Russia for Strikes on Ukraine, Kyiv Intel Warns

North Korea is preparing to deploy a missile unit to western Russia that could bring up to 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers into Moscow’s arsenal for attacks on Ukraine. Andrii Cherniak, a representative of Ukraine’s Military Intelligence (HUR), told Reuters that Russia plans to station around 90 North Korean personnel from the missile unit in Russia’s Voronezh region, where they would become part of the 112th Missile Brigade.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The deployment would mark a significant expansion of military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, which has already supplied Russia with artillery shells, troops and ballistic missiles for its war against Ukraine. Cherniak said North Korea has recently delivered another batch of around 40 KN-23 and KN-24 ballistic missiles along with personnel to Russia. The final scale and structure of the deployment are expected to be decided during high-level talks next month. According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia expects the deployment to include 120 North Korean ballistic missiles and six launchers, although the exact role of North Korean personnel in Russian missile operations remains unclear. Russia has increasingly relied on ballistic missiles in its strikes against Ukraine, as weapons such as the Iskander and North Korea’s KN-series missiles are among the hardest for Ukrainian air defenses to intercept. The reported deployment comes after Russia last week used North Korean ballistic missiles against Ukraine for the first time since August 2025, Cherniak told Reuters. Other Topics of Interest Russian Strike Triggers Ammonia Leak in Kyiv; Emergency Crews Contain Threat A Russian strike ruptured a tank holding 300 liters of ammonia in Kyiv, but emergency crews contained the leak and ruled out a threat to residents. Ukrainian officials said one of the missiles struck a residential building in the central village of Radushne, killing 10 members of the same family. North Korea’s KN-23 and KN-24 missiles have a longer range and larger payload than Russia’s Iskander missiles but are considered less accurate. Ukrainian officials say the weapons have been linked to strikes causing significant civilian casualties. Since late 2023, Pyongyang has supplied Moscow with around 150 ballistic missiles, according to Ukrainian intelligence. North Korea has also sent thousands of troops to support Russia’s war effort, including forces deployed to Russia’s Kursk region during fighting against Ukrainian troops in 2024. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said last month that Russia was preparing to receive another 30,000 North Korean troops, with Voronezh reportedly among the regions being prepared for their arrival. Alisa is the Head of News and a correspondent at Kyiv Post, where she leads the newsroom’s coverage of breaking events and global developments. With over seven years of experience in TV journalism, Alisa has reported on international and Ukrainian politics, making complex stories easier to understand. Back in September 2022, Alisa joined the Kyiv Post team.