North Korea has enhanced the accuracy of its missiles, which Russia is using to strike Ukraine.

North Korean ballistic missiles, which were supplied to Russia, have become more advanced. The projectiles that Russian forces have been using to strike Ukraine since late December have shown significantly improved accuracy compared to those employed in earlier attacks. However, it remains unclear what modifications North Korea has made to its missiles.

This information is reported by Reuters. It is noted that high-ranking Ukrainian sources informed the publication about the improvement in the accuracy of North Korean missiles.

The increase in accuracy to within 50-100 meters of the intended target indicates that North Korea is successfully utilizing the battlefield to test its missile technologies, sources say. A military source described a noticeable enhancement in the accuracy of over 20 North Korean ballistic missiles that struck Ukraine in recent weeks.

Weaponry expert Yang Uk from the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul stated that the improvement in North Korea's missile capabilities expands its potential to threaten South Korea, Japan, and the United States or to sell upgraded weapons to "failing" states or armed groups.

"This could have serious implications for stability in the region and the world," Yang Uk commented.

Reuters emphasizes that prior to its involvement in Ukraine, this long-isolated country had never tested new weapons in combat.

"As they produce missiles and receive feedback from clients, namely the Russian army, they gain more experience in manufacturing more reliable missiles," Yang Uk explained, but added that it is still unclear what modifications North Korea has made to its missiles.

A Ukrainian military source stated that an analysis of debris did not reveal any changes in missile design, although there were very few remnants left for analysis. The source suggested that two possible explanations are that the missiles are equipped with better navigation systems or rudder mechanisms to facilitate maneuvering.

According to Yang, other factors that may enhance accuracy include better target information, new guidance system components provided by Russia, and improvements based on data and experience that North Korean scientists have gathered during the war.

Previously, North Korean missiles had an accuracy of 1-3 kilometers, but the most recent ones have accuracy ranging from 50 to 100 meters, a military source in Kyiv disclosed, revealing an assessment that had not been reported before. However, it did not specify the target, the launch locations of the missiles, or the dates of the attacks, citing military secrecy.

North Korean Missiles

Russia received short-range ballistic missiles K-23, K-23A, and K-24 from North Korea. They began to be launched across Ukraine at the end of 2023. Although these ballistic missiles constitute only a small portion of Russia's missile strikes, they carry a substantial warhead weighing up to one ton and have a range of up to 800 kilometers.

Furthermore, according to the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), over the past three months, North Korea has supplied Russia with approximately 120 170-mm self-propelled artillery pieces M1989 Koksan and 120 240-mm multiple launch rocket systems M-1991 and is likely to deliver at least as many in the future. In addition to artillery, Pyongyang is expected to send another 150 short-range ballistic missiles KN-23 to Russia in 2025. Last year, 148 of these were provided.