North Korean missile unit deploys in Russia for Ukraine war

A North Korean missile unit has begun deploying to western Russia and could be equipped with 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers for strikes against

Ukraine, an official at Ukraine's military intelligence agency said.



Ukraine is very short of high-end air defences and Russia has tried to exploit this by using more ballistic missiles, which are particularly hard to shoot down.



Russia has fired scores of North Korean ballistic missiles at Ukraine since late 2023, but the deployment of North Korean missile forces would be an expansion of the already extensive military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.



Andrii Cherniak of Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence said Russia planned to base the missile unit of around 90 North Korean personnel in the western Russian region of Voronezh, within its 112th Missile Brigade.



A source familiar with the issue told Reuters that the United States is aware of the North Korean deployment, but declined to elaborate.



The CIA declined to comment. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.