Russia and North Korea are deepening their military alliance with the deployment of a North Korean ballistic missile unit inside Russia – raising fears that Vladimir Putin is preparing for a major escalation of the war in Ukraine.
A North Korean missile unit has reportedly taken up positions in Russia’s Voronezh region, close to the Ukrainian border, according to Ukrainian intelligence officials cited by Reuters.
The unit is believed to include around six launchers and up to 120 ballistic missiles, with Russia already receiving a first batch of 40 weapons from Pyongyang.
The move marks a dramatic expansion of cooperation between Moscow and Kim Jong Un’s regime, which has become one of Russia’s most important military suppliers since the invasion of Ukraine began.
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North Korea has already supplied Russia with KN-23 and KN-24 short and medium-range ballistic missiles, weapons that are comparable to Russia’s Iskander-M system and America’s ATACMS missile platform.
Ukraine says Russian forces recently used North Korean KN-23 missiles in a strike on the village of Radushne in the Dnipropetrovsk region – the first reported use of Pyongyang’s weapons since last year.
The growing alliance has triggered alarm in Kyiv, particularly as Ukraine’s air defences struggle against increasingly intense missile attacks.
Ballistic missiles supplied by North Korea can only be reliably intercepted by advanced systems such as the US-made Patriot air defence platform, of which Ukraine has a limited supply.
BREAKING: North Korea has sent a ballistic missile unit to Ukraine.
120 missiles are now ready for use. pic.twitter.com/GjmiL8fBxJ
— Ethan Levins 🇺🇸 (@EthanLevins2) August 5, 2026
The warning comes amid claims that Moscow is preparing for an even larger influx of North Korean support. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed Russia is seeking to bring in another 30,000 North Korean troops, following the deployment of around 12,000 soldiers during fighting in Russia’s Kursk region.
“Russia wants to receive another 30,000 troops from North Korea,” Mr Zelensky said, claiming preparations were already underway in Voronezh.
The two countries have rapidly strengthened military ties, signing a strategic partnership treaty last year that included defence cooperation and mutual assistance. A further agreement reportedly expanded military coordination, arms transfers and joint operations.
Western officials fear the partnership is creating a dangerous exchange of military expertise, with Russia gaining manpower and weapons while North Korea receives battlefield experience and advanced technology.
As the war enters another critical phase, the emergence of a Russia-North Korea military bloc threatens to widen the conflict and reshape the balance of power on the battlefield.
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