Did Russia help North Korea improve its missiles?

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - Through practical combat experience, Russian engineers have helped North Korea improve the precision strike capability of its Hwasong-11A tactical ballistic missile.

North Korea's KN-23 mobile short-range tactical ballistic missile (Photo: Army Recognition).

Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian intelligence agency, said that Russian engineers had identified and eliminated a flaw in North Korea's KN-23 missile's accuracy during its deployment in the conflict in Ukraine.

"Initially, the missile's accuracy suffered from serious flaws, with a fluctuation range of 500-1,500 meters," Budanov revealed in an interview with South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo on February 17.

"However, Russian missile experts have made technical adjustments and resolved this issue. The missile is now significantly more accurate and poses a much greater threat," Budanov added.

KN-23 is the designation used by the US, while North Korea calls this weapon Hwasong-11A.

This is a solid-fuel ballistic missile with a range of approximately 690km and is often compared to Russia's Iskandar-M.

The Hwasong-11A is one of the new weapons in North Korea's arsenal, unveiled during a military parade in 2018. The missile's range allows it to strike deep into South Korean territory.

In July 2024, Pyongyang announced it had successfully tested a more advanced version of the missile – the Hwasong-11Da-4.5, capable of carrying a 4.5-ton warhead.

In an interview with Chosun Ilbo , Budanov stated that cooperation between Russia and North Korea is "reaching its highest level," thereby warning of the growing threat to countries in Asia that Pyongyang considers hostile.

"North Korea is using this conflict to accumulate combat experience and modernize its military technology. This will have long-term consequences for security in the Asia-Pacific region," Budanov emphasized.

Meanwhile, Vadym Skibitskyi, Deputy Director of the Ukrainian intelligence agency, also asserted that the North Korean military is learning very quickly.

"Their combat effectiveness has improved significantly, not only with conventional weapons like tanks but also with advanced systems like drones," Skibitskyi said.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/nga-giup-trieu-tien-cai-tien-ten-lua-20250219183702571.htm