North Korean missiles and artillery fuel Russia's war efforts
Andrij Czerniak, a representative of Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR), shared in an interview with Radio Liberty that Russia has already used approximately 60 North Korean KN-23 ballistic missiles for attacks on Ukraine. Pyongyang also systematically supplies its ally with large quantities of artillery shells and, more recently, heavy military equipment.
– As of today, we have information that Russia has used about 60 North Korean missiles against Ukraine. Their accuracy, in principle, is not very high. We understand that the technologies under which they were produced are outdated. On the other hand, they still pose a threat because there is no difference between death from a missile made several years ago and from one made using old technologies – said Andrij Czerniak.
KN-23 ballistic missiles in service of Russians
KN-23 (also known as Hwasong-11Ga) are solid-fuel ballistic missiles that are sometimes compared to Russian Iskanders.
North Korean designs are somewhat lighter but offer a greater range—estimated to be over 595 kilometres. The warheads used in the KN-23 can weigh about 500 kilograms. Variants with conventional warheads reach Russia, but the KN-23 can also be armed with nuclear warheads.
Andrij Czerniak reminded us that from the beginning of the war in Ukraine, North Korean artillery ammunition has been a significant support for Putin's army.
– When it comes to artillery ammunition, it numbers in the millions. We constantly observe the movement of additional loads and containers. Yes, this is also a huge threat to Ukraine because, besides having its military-industrial complex and production capacities, Russia also uses ammunition from North Korea – the Ukrainian stated.
Growing support for Russia from North Korea
In a recently issued assessment, the intelligence services of the USA and South Korea provided information about significant support flowing from Pyongyang to Moscow. It was estimated that 20,000 containers with several million artillery shells might already exist.
In the last quarter of 2024, Putin's army also began receiving North Korean heavy military equipment. There are already over 100 various types of artillery systems, including multiple rocket launchers and M1989 "Koksan" artillery using 170mm caliber guns.
