Russia has reportedly made significant strides in enhancing the accuracy of the KN-23 missiles supplied by North Korea, as highlighted by Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence. In an interview with the South Korean newspaper The Chosun, Budanov discussed the initial limitations of the KN-23 missile system, which he described as posing a minimal threat to Ukrainian forces due to its “very low” accuracy.
He revealed that early iterations of the KN-23 that were handed to Moscow had a substantial error margin, reaching up to 1,500 meters (approximately 4,921 feet). However, he noted that Russian engineers have implemented considerable technical enhancements to the missile, thereby transforming it into a more formidable weapon system that now presents a significantly heightened risk not only to Ukraine but also to other nations in the region, including South Korea and Japan.
While Budanov refrained from detailing the specific modifications made to the missiles, he underscored the broader implications of this development. He indicated that North Korea is effectively utilizing the ongoing conflict to gain invaluable combat experience and modernize its military technology, which could have lasting repercussions for the security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region.
This escalation in military capabilities is part of a larger trend of increasing defense collaboration between Russia and North Korea, particularly following a mutual defense treaty signed in mid-2024. This agreement binds both nations to provide military support to one another in the event of an attack, indicating a deepening strategic partnership.
Reports suggest that North Korea has dispatched over 11,000 troops to aid Russian forces on the Ukrainian front, accompanied by a substantial supply of weapons and military equipment. Budanov cautioned that the level of cooperation between the two countries has surged to what he described as the “highest level,” representing a serious threat to global stability.
He emphasized that North Korea’s military assistance to Russia is yielding immediate benefits in terms of combat experience, which could be critical should a larger conflict erupt in the Indo-Pacific region. “Their combat effectiveness has improved dramatically — not only with conventional weapons like tanks but also with advanced systems such as drones,” Budanov remarked, predicting that the future North Korean military will be vastly different from its past iterations. This development raises concerns about the changing dynamics of military power in both Eastern Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
