On January 4, 2024, John Kirby, the spokesperson for National Security at the White House, announced that Russia had used ballistic missiles provided by North Korea against Ukraine. Some open sources have identified these missiles as KN-23s, which were reportedly delivered as noted by the editorial team of Army Recognition on November 26, 2023.
Mr. Kirby revealed that the first of these North Korean missiles was fired by Russia into Ukraine on December 30, 2023, targeting an open field in the Zaporizhzhia region. On January 2, several North Korean ballistic missiles, including the suspected KN-23s, were launched into Ukraine, marking a significant escalation of the Russian offensive.
These North Korean KN-23 ballistic missiles are capable of a range of approximately 550 miles, closely resembling the Russian Iskander-M missile. The Iskander-M has been extensively utilized by Russian forces in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, raising concerns about the potential impact of North Korea’s involvement in the war.
Kirby emphasized that in return, North Korea is seeking Russian military assistance, particularly in fighter jets and ballistic missile technologies, and possibly an increase in collaboration on its nuclear program. Other American officials have reported that North Korea is also seeking more help in enhancing the range and accuracy of its intercontinental ballistic missiles, which it has tested repeatedly in recent months. This North Korean request for increased military aid has significant security implications for the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific region.
In November 2023, the United States Department of Defense (DoD) reported that North Korea dispatched over 1,000 containers of arms and ammunition, including KN-23 tactical ballistic missiles, to Russia in October 2023. Photographs released by the U.S. showed a large accumulation of these containers at Najin, a North Korean port city near the Russian border. These arms were then reportedly transported across Russia to a location near the Ukrainian border.