Almost half of the North Korean missiles fired by the Russian occupiers at Ukrainian cities did not reach their target. This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine in response to a request from Reuters.
The last use was recorded on February 27. At least half of the missiles went off trajectory or malfunctioned, indicating poor build quality and the use of cheap components in the missiles themselves.
These results raise doubts about the quality of North Korea’s precision weapons, as the KN-23 is one of the newest systems that was put into service in 2019.
The use of North Korean weapons on the territory of Ukraine killed 24 people, injured 115 others, and damaged residential and industrial facilities.
The Office of the Prosecutor General noted that approximately 50 missiles were launched from the western regions of Russia, including Belgorod, Voronezh, and Kursk regions. At the same time, an investigation is underway to establish the possible presence of Pyongyang instructors at the launch sites.
As you know, Russia has begun direct oil supplies to North Korea despite the UN sanctions to which it is a signatory. In exchange for oil, the aggressor country receives weapons, the Financial Times reported.
The British think tank Royal United Services Institute for Defense Studies (RUSI) has released satellite images showing the arrival of at least five DPRK tankers at the Eastern Port in Russia. The ships arrived at the port, located in the Russian Far East, to hold oil.
Deliveries from Russia began on March 7, 2024. These are the first documented direct deliveries from Russia to the DPRK since 2017. It should be noted that the UN Security Council, with Russia’s consent, imposed sanctions on North Korea that restricted oil transportation in response to the DPRK’s nuclear test at the time.