North Korean missiles used by Russia in attacks on Ukraine since December have become more accurate, Reuters reported on Feb. 6, citing sources familiar with the matter.
Analysts believe North Korea is using the battlefield as a testing ground for its missile technology, enhancing its weapons for future use.
North Korea has supplied Russia with artillery ammunition, ballistic missiles, and soldiers since the start of the full-scale invasion. Military cooperation deepened after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a mutual defense pact with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June.
A military source told Reuters that more than 20 North Korean ballistic missiles fired at Ukraine have displayed improved accuracy in recent weeks, with their deviation from the intended target reduced to 50-100 meters.
A Ukrainian official familiar with North Korean missile strikes also allegedly confirmed the information, according to Reuters.
Reports indicate that North Korea has provided Russia with over 5 million artillery shells and at least 100 short-range ballistic missiles, including KN-23/24 types.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
Pyongyang has significantly advanced its missile programs in recent years, developing short- and medium-range systems that allegedly can carry nuclear warheads.
Elsewhere, North Korean troops who had been deployed to Russia's Kursk Oblast since last fall to support Moscow's war effort have reportedly withdrawn from frontline positions.
Yonhap news agency, citing South Korean intelligence, reported on Feb. 4 that North Korean soldiers had not been engaged in combat since mid-January.
Ukraine's military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, denied reports that North Korean soldiers have not been seen on the front line for weeks.
Ukraine's forces have been operating in Kursk Oblast since launching a cross-border incursion in August 2024, seizing approximately 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of Russian territory.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
