Russia bolsters military might with new brigades and advanced missiles

Ukrainian media have reported on the forming of two new brigades within the Russian military structure. These brigades could have highly destructive weapons such as KN-23 ballistic missiles and Iskander-M systems.

The Defense Express portal specializes in military topics and highlights discussions around Russia's maneuvers. This information comes from the Russian Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST).

The KN-23 ballistic missiles, known also as Hwasong-11Ga, have been in production in North Korea since 2018. Russia has likely been receiving them since the beginning of 2024, with several attacks on Ukrainian positions using the KN-23 already confirmed. Each missile is roughly 7.5 meters (about 25 feet) in length and weighs up to 3,400 kilograms (nearly 7,500 pounds), with the warhead alone weighing about 500 kilograms (around 1,100 pounds). Its operational range extends beyond 600 kilometres (approximately 370 miles) and is propelled by solid fuel.

Despite some analysts, war observers, and even Russian soldiers expressing concerns over the quality of these North Korean weapons, including their accuracy and the quality of components, the KN-23 missiles stand out for their massive destructive capability. They can obliterate everything within a 40-meter (about 130-feet) radius, as demonstrated by an incident in a forest near Kyiv.

The inclusion of KN-23 ballistic missiles was planned for one of the new brigades involved in the conflict in Ukraine. However, this doesn't apply to the brigade equipped with Iskander-M systems.

As reported by The Moscow Times in April of this year, the brigade with Iskander-M systems has been made part of the newly established Leningrad Military District and stationed in Karelia, close to the Finland border, acting as a nuclear deterrent. The Iskander-M can be outfitted with nuclear payloads, launching ballistic missiles with an explosive power ranging from 5 to 50 kilotons. Nevertheless, in the context of the conflict in Ukraine, the systems used by Russia have been launching missiles with conventional fragmentation or cluster warheads, with an impact range of about 600 kilometres (approximately 370 miles) as well.