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Russian-Upgraded North Korean Missiles Now Hit With Deadly Accuracy, Ukrainian Intel Chief Says

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Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko
Dariia Mykhailenko
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Russian-Upgraded North Korean Missiles Now Hit With Deadly Accuracy, Ukrainian Intel Chief Says
Debris from a missile used in strike on Kharkiv, Ukraine amid the war with Russia on January 11, 2024. (Source: Getty Images)

Head of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR), Kyrylo Budanov, stated that Russia has significantly upgraded North Korea’s KN-23 ballistic missiles, increasing their effectiveness and now striking with deadly accuracy.

He made the remarks in an interview with the US outlet The War Zone on June 7.

According to the interview, the first batch of KN-23 missiles, also known as Hwasong-11, which North Korea supplied to Russia, proved to be highly ineffective. Around half of them veered off course or exploded mid-air, according to data from Ukraine’s State Prosecutor’s Office. However, with Russian intervention and technical assistance, these missiles were significantly improved.

“Initially, with the beginning of the transfer to Russia, they were flying with a deviation of a few kilometers, but now they are exactly hitting the target. This is the result of the common work of Russian and North Korean specialists,” Head HUR stated.

These enhancements may not be limited to the KN-23 missiles. Although Budanov did not disclose the specific modifications, the upgrades are likely to enhance the effectiveness of a broader range of North Korea’s ballistic missile systems, potentially expanding the threat well beyond the Korean Peninsula.

According to Budanov, Russian support for North Korea could shift the regional balance of power.

Earlier, HUR had released detailed specifications of the V2U, an AI-enabled Russian strike drone currently in active use by Russian forces, primarily along the front line in the Sumy region.

A key feature of the V2U is its ability to autonomously search for and identify targets using onboard artificial intelligence. Instead of relying on satellite navigation—which is increasingly disrupted by Ukrainian electronic warfare—the drone navigates by comparing live video feeds to preloaded terrain imagery. Additionally, operators have the option to assume manual control in first-person view mode, which utilizes a SIM card from a Ukrainian mobile network operator.

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