russia is preparing to deploy a North Korean missile unit in its Voronezh region as military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang continues to deepen, according to Ukraine's Defense Intelligence.
The assessment was provided by Andrii Cherniak, a representative of Ukraine's Defense Intelligence, in an exclusive interview with Reuters. According to Andrii Cherniak, the planned unit will be equipped with six launchers and 120 North Korean-made ballistic missiles.
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Andrii Cherniak said Pyongyang has already shipped an initial batch of 40 KN-23/KN-24 ballistic missiles to russia along with North Korean personnel. However, he noted that the final deployment configuration and the overall number of missiles are expected to be determined during high-level negotiations between the two countries scheduled for next month.
The North Korean contingent will consist of approximately 90 military personnel. The unit is expected to operate as part of russia's 112th Missile Brigade, indicating that North Korean troops could be integrated directly into an existing russian missile formation rather than serving independently.
Andrii Cherniak also noted that North Korea supplied russia with approximately 150 ballistic missiles between 2023 and 2025. The KN-23 and KN-24 short-range ballistic missiles have been repeatedly linked to strikes against Ukrainian territory, with Ukrainian officials and international observers documenting their use in previous attacks.
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