North Korean missiles prove deadly in Ukraine: Precision rising
The North Korean ballistic missiles, whose quality has often been questioned, are becoming increasingly precise. Attacks conducted using these weapons on Ukrainian positions are starting to yield significantly greater effects for the Russians than in 2024. Analysts view this as confirmation that North Korea is treating Ukraine like a testing ground and learning to improve its weaponry.
Reuters was the first to report on the issue, citing "two senior Ukrainian sources." North Korean KN-23 ballistic missiles have become the focus of Ukrainians. It has been observed that more than 20 of these missiles, which hit Ukraine over the past few weeks, had a significantly smaller deviation from their target compared to attacks in 2024.
KN-23 ballistic missiles becoming more dangerous
The first Russian attacks using KN-23 ballistic missiles showed large deviations from their targets—ranging from 1.6 to 3.2 kilometres. As a result, even despite their considerable destructive power, these weapons often failed. For instance, there were cases when North Korean missiles landed in a forest instead of the intended city target.
However, the recent Russian attacks have shown that the KN-23 ballistic missiles have become significantly more accurate, with a deviation from their targets of only 45 to 90 metres. This suggests that North Korea is successfully using the battlefield in Ukraine to test its technologies.
Concerns in Ukraine and South Korea
Yang Wook, a military expert from the Seoul Institute for Policy Studies, stated in a comment to Reuters that sources in Ukraine have already informed South Korea about the improved efficiency of North Korean missiles. He added that this is concerning not only for Kyiv but also for Seoul and should attract the attention of Japan and the United States. The situation raises fears about Pyongyang’s growing military potential and the "failed" states or armed groups that could acquire arms from North Korea.
"As they are making missiles and getting feedback from the customers – the Russian army - then they have more experience making more reliable missiles," Yang Wook assessed, as quoted by Reuters.
According to publicly available data, the KN-23 ballistic missiles are about 7.6 metres long and weigh over 3,000 kilograms. They can attack targets up to 595 to 700 kilometres away, which gives them an advantage in this respect over Russian Iskanders (with a range of about 500 kilometres).
At this time, it is unclear what modifications North Koreans have made to the KN-23 ballistic missiles. Possible explanations include improved navigation systems or enhanced control mechanisms related to manoeuvring the missile in flight.
Russia began using North Korean ballistic missiles at the end of 2023. So far, around 100 attacks on Ukrainian positions have been recorded using this weapon.
