Russia is deploying a North Korean missile unit near Ukraine's borders
Russia has begun deploying a North Korean missile unit in the Voronezh region, which may be equipped with 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers.
According to Andriy Chernyak, this involves a missile unit consisting of about 90 North Korean military personnel, which is planned to be deployed in the Voronezh region as part of the Russian Federation’s 112th Missile Brigade.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, North Korea has already transferred a new batch of 40 KN-23 and KN-24 ballistic missiles to Russia, along with military personnel.
At the same time, the final details of the deployment and the total number of weapons are to be agreed upon during high-level talks next month.
According to the Main Intelligence Directorate’s assessment, Russia expects to receive up to 120 North Korean ballistic missiles and six launchers.
However, the role of North Korean military personnel in future missile operations has not yet been definitively determined.
Reuters noted that these figures align with reports that Russia deployed two North Korean ballistic missiles last week—the first such deployment since August 2025.
Rob Lee, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Foreign Policy Research, stated that the increase in the number of ballistic missiles poses a serious challenge to Ukraine’s air defense system.
“Missile defense is one of Ukraine’s greatest vulnerabilities, so any increase in the number of ballistic missiles it has to deal with will pose an even greater challenge,” he emphasized.
According to the expert, the upcoming winter season is a particular cause for concern, as Russia may resume large-scale attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
According to Ukrainian authorities, last week a North Korean ballistic missile struck a residential building in the village of Radushne in the Dnipropetrovsk region, killing at least five members of a single family.
Andriy Chernyak reported that this was the first confirmed instance of Russia using North Korean ballistic missiles since August 2025, noting that the attack involved missiles from a new batch of 40 units.
Additionally, according to the Main Intelligence Directorate, there are currently about 9,500 North Korean military personnel in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, though they are not yet directly participating in combat operations against Ukraine.
This was reported by Andriy Chernyak, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, in an interview with Reuters.
As a result of Russia’s nighttime missile attack on the night of August 5, production and logistics facilities belonging to the company “Epicenter” sustained significant damage. One employee was killed, and three others were injured.
As a reminder, 14 people were killed and 27 civilians were injured as a result of a nighttime attack by Russian forces on the Kyiv region on August 5, 2026. Rescue workers continue to deal with the aftermath of the strikes and extinguish fires in several districts of the region.
As a result of a Russian strike with guided bombs on Sumy on August 4, two young girls—10-year-old Sofia and 5-year-old Emilia—were killed. The children were in their own home when the Russian attack cut short their lives. Photos of the deceased sisters have appeared online.
