Russia reportedly blew up one of its surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems believed to have been shipped to Moscow by Pyongyang, in the border region of Kursk, where a fresh incursion by Ukraine is underway.
Newsweek reached out to the Kremlin for comment via email on Monday.
Why It Matters
Russian military bloggers on Telegram initially said Russian troops had destroyed a system supplied to Ukraine by the West. But analysis by Alexander Kovalenko, a prominent Ukrainian military and political analyst, found that Russia destroyed the SAM in a case of "friendly fire," the Ukrainian Independent Information Agency first reported.
It paints a picture of North Korea's support for Russia in the war. Pyongyang is reported to have supplied Russia with short-range nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, self-propelled guns, and even troops for use in the ongoing conflict.
Kovalenko said the transfer of destroyed SAM was not reported by Western or South Korean intelligence. This suggests that there are logistic supply chains between North Korea and Russia that are not tracked by either Western or South Korean intelligence, "which is extremely, extremely alarming," he said.
What To Know
Kovalenko, a Ukrainian military and political analyst with over 100,000 subscribers on Telegram, said a Russian drone operator mistakenly struck a North Korean-made SAM in the Kursk region, believing he was targeting a Western one.
Ukrainian outlet Militarnyi said analysis of battlefield footage and photos showed that the North Korean system struck by Russian forces has a similar silhouette and shape to Western ones used by Ukrainian troops in the region.
Ukraine has said for months that North Korea was supplying Russia with equipment and troops for the war. In November, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence reported that Moscow had received more than 100 KN-23 and KN-24 short-range nuclear-capable ballistic missiles.
"The aggressor state of Russia has received more than 100 such missiles from the DPRK. The enemy first used these weapons in the war against Ukraine at the end of 2023," said the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine.
"Along with the missiles, Pyongyang then sent its military specialists to Russia to service the launchers and participate in war crimes against Ukraine."
What People Are Saying
Ukrainian military and political analyst Alexander Kovalenko, on Telegram: "So...Russia has received North Korean air defense systems for use.
"This suggests that Russia has a problem with air defense. Although, we already know about this, the [Russian occupational forces] lack air defense systems and now this is one of the most catastrophically deficient categories.
"Russia asks [North Korea] for exactly what it lacks most, and these supplies reflect the difficulty of replenishing losses. First, shells - a shell famine, then meat - a shortage of personnel, then artillery, ballistics, and now air defense."
What Happens Next
South Korea, Ukraine and the United States have estimated that Russia has deployed upward of 10,000 of its troops to reinforce Russian forces. Given their close ties, Pyongyang's support for Russia in the war is likely to continue. The two nations signed a mutual defense treaty last year, which states that they aid each other should one come under an armed attack.
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