Ukrainian intelligence reports that North Korea is preparing to deploy a missile unit to western Russia, which would mark another major expansion of military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang. The unit could field six launchers and as many as 120 KN-23 and KN-24 short-range ballistic missiles.
This development comes as Ukraine is becoming increasingly defenseless to such attacks due to a lack of Patriot missiles. President Volodymyr Zelensky has directly linked the recent casualties to continued shortages of advanced air-defense systems.
The situation is likely to become more difficult heading into the coming winter, when Russia normally steps up its strikes against Ukraine’s electrical grid. Ukraine has spent months urging Western partners to provide additional Patriot batteries and interceptor missiles.
