Russia seeks new North Korean ballistic missiles 3 times more powerful than KN-23
Russia is seeking ballistic missiles from North Korea (photo: Getty Images)
Russia is in talks with North Korea over the supply of new KN-30 ballistic missiles, which are three times more powerful than the better-known KN-23 and KN-24, according to Andrii Chernyak, a representative of Ukraine's Defense Intelligence.
What the Kremlin is negotiating with Pyongyang
Chernyak said that Russia is currently trying to obtain another package of military assistance from North Korea. The Kremlin needs it ahead of the autumn-winter period of the war.
According to preliminary data from Ukrainian military intelligence, the request to Pyongyang includes:
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120 ballistic missiles and 6 launchers for them;
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A separate missile unit of up to 90 personnel;
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A North Korean army contingent of between 30,000 and 50,000 troops.
Intelligence has not yet determined where exactly Russia plans to deploy this contingent.
How many weapons Pyongyang has already supplied
Of what the Kremlin had previously requested, it has already received 40 KN-23 and KN-24 missiles. Russian forces used two of them during one of the latest attacks on Ukraine.
Chernyak explained why the Kremlin needs such strikes:
"Missile terror is part of the Kremlin's strategy aimed at increasing fear, fueling destructive processes and conflicts within Ukraine," he said.
According to him, in this way, Russia is putting pressure on Ukrainian society and trying to undermine the country's resilience.
When the final decision will be known
The Ukrainian military intelligence representative added that the specific amount of new assistance from North Korea will be agreed upon during a meeting between the Kremlin leader and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The talks are scheduled for September.
Meanwhile, South Korean intelligence reported that North Korea is preparing a new deployment of troops to Russia, although there are currently no signs of an imminent deployment.
According to its estimates, Pyongyang has already supplied Moscow with more than 15 million artillery shells, as well as short-range ballistic missiles.
Earlier, Major General Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy chief of Ukraine's Defense Intelligence, said in an interview with CNN that the total number of North Korean troops in Russia had reached 8,500.
Among them are 400 drone operators capable of both conducting reconnaissance and attacking targets in Ukraine.
