Russia receives 148 KN-23 ballistic missiles from DPRK - intelligence
The head of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, told The War Zone that in 2024 Russia received 148 KN-23 ballistic missiles from North Korea, which are actively used to strike Ukraine.
Here's What We Know
Pyongyang is also expected to hand over another 150 such missiles to Moscow by the end of the year.
Russia uses KN-23 to shell the territory of Ukraine, launching them from the Kursk and Bryansk regions. North Korean military experts help the Russians in this process.
In December 2023, a representative of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, Andriy Chernyak, said that Russia had used about 60 such missiles at that time. Despite their low accuracy, they pose a serious threat.
The launch of a KN-23 ballistic missile. Illustration: KCNA
The first recorded use of the KN-23 against Ukraine was confirmed by John Kirby, Strategic Communications Coordinator for the US National Security Council. He noted that the strikes were carried out on 29 December 2023 in Zaporizhzhia and on 2 January 2024 in Kharkiv.
DIU experts have found that KN-23 ballistic missiles contain a significant number of Western components manufactured in the United States, Europe and Asia. This information became available through the analysis of surviving parts after their use by Russian troops.
Source: The War Zone