North Korea plans to transfer 150 more short-range ballistic missiles to Russia, as well as possibly additional howitzers. They are scheduled to be delivered in 2025.
Points of attention
- North Korea plans to transfer 150 ballistic missiles and other weapons to Russia in 2025.
- Since the beginning of the military conflict, supplies of military equipment and soldiers from the DPRK to the Russian Federation have continued.
- The replenishment of Russia's arsenal could lead to an escalation of the conflict in the East.
- Large-scale transfers of weapons from the DPRK to the Russian Federation are used both on the battlefield against Ukrainian troops and for training purposes.
- Most of the transferred weapons are highly effective and have powerful ammunition.
Budanov revealed North Korea's new intentions towards Russia
As reported by Kirill Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, Pyongyang intends to supply Moscow with another 150 KN-23 ballistic missiles in 2025.
According to him, last year Russia already received 148 such missiles. North Korean missile launches into Ukraine are carried out from the Kursk and Bryansk regions of the Russian Federation.
In addition, over the past three months, North Korea has transferred to Russia about 120 170 mm M1989 Koksan self-propelled artillery mounts and 120 240 mm M-1991 multiple launch rocket systems. Budanov believes that the DPRK may send at least the same amount of weapons in the future.
They have significant reserves of these systems,” the head of the GUR emphasized.
According to him, most of the transferred weapons are used both on the battlefield against Ukrainian troops and for training purposes in Russia.
170-mm artillery has a powerful ammunition load and high efficiency, while 240-mm multiple launch rocket systems are typical heavy artillery systems that create significant problems on the front line.
Kirill Budanov
Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate
North Korea to send new soldiers to Kursk region
As the publication notes, last fall, North Korea sent about 11,000 soldiers to support Russian troops in the Kursk region in southern Russia, where Ukrainian forces regained control of some territories after a surprise operation in the summer.
The Pentagon is awaiting the arrival of new units.
According to Ukrainian and American officials, since the first combat clash in early December, about a third of the North Korean military has suffered casualties — they have been killed or wounded.
Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky said this week that North Korean casualties continue to mount, with nearly half of them wounded or killed to date. At the same time, he stressed that the Korean troops remain “highly motivated, well-trained and brave.”
The North Korean armed forces, numbering 1.2 million, are among the largest in the world. Their involvement in the war is a major escalation in a conflict that has been going on for almost three years.
North Korean soldiers in Russia were issued documents that registered them as residents of the Russian Far East. One Pentagon official called the documents “pocket trash.”
