Ukraine: Russia to Deploy North Korean Missile Unit in Voronezh Region
Ukraine's military intelligence says Russia plans to deploy about 90 North Korean troops as a missile unit in the Voronezh region, attached to the Russian 112th Missile Brigade.
A representative of Ukraine's military intelligence, Chernyak, has said that Russia plans to deploy a missile unit of around 90 North Korean troops in the Voronezh region. The unit would be incorporated into Russia's 112th Missile Brigade. According to Chernyak, Pyongyang has already sent a new batch of 40 KN-23 and KN-24 missiles along with personnel. The exact deployment details and the total number of missiles are expected to be agreed during high-level talks next month.
Chernyak also said that Russia expects to involve a total of 120 North Korean ballistic missiles and six launch systems. For now, it remains unclear what role the North Korean personnel would play in Russian missile operations.
His comments came shortly after Russia fired two North Korean missiles at Ukraine last week. Chernyak described the strike as the first use of Pyongyang's ballistic missiles since August 2025, saying the weapons came from the new batch of 40 missiles.
North Korean missiles have a longer range and a heavier warhead than Russia's Iskander missiles, but they are considerably less accurate. Ukrainian military sources say they have been used in strikes that caused a large number of civilian casualties.
Last month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Kremlin wants North Korea to send another 30,000 soldiers. He also claimed that preparations to receive them are under way in the Voronezh region.
