North Korea to bolster Russian arsenal with new arms in 2025

Budanov, who leads the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, explained that North Korea will provide similar military assistance to Russia in 2025 as it did in 2024. In 2024, Pyongyang supplied Moscow with approximately 120 M1989 "Koksan" artillery systems with a 6.7-inch caliber and 120 multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) M-1991 with a 9.4-inch caliber, as well as nearly 150 KN-23 short-range ballistic missiles. Budanov anticipates that these figures will be similar in 2025.

The head of Ukrainian intelligence also noted that he does not "expect to see many new ground forces." However, he did not specify the number of North Korean soldiers who might arrive in Ukraine or the timing of such deployments. Instead, Budanov mentioned that about one-third of the 12,000 Koreans sent to Kursk had died, leaving approximately 8,000 people still capable of fighting. These estimates are difficult to verify.

The New York Times, citing an anonymous high-ranking U.S. defense official, recently reported that new reinforcements from North Korea might appear in Kursk "within the next two months." Analysts from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) share a similar view. In their latest report, they note that North Korea will deploy a new military contingent in Russia in the coming months, which will likely help maintain the current pace and intensity of infantry attacks in the Kursk region.

Interestingly, ISW believes that "the entirety of the North Korean contingent in Russia may be killed or wounded in action by about mid-April 2025 at their current casualty rate, and a new North Korean deployment — whether intended to increase the current grouping or rotate out existing forces — is likely intended to sustain Russia’s tempo of operations despite heavy losses of about 30,000 - 45,000 causalities (combined killed and wounded) per month."

ISW analysts expect the new North Korean forces in Russia will have minimal impact on Russian operations and will likely experience high casualty rates similar to those of the current North Korean contingent. This is provided the Russian command continues to use North Korean forces the same way as it has thus far."

North Korea has supplied Russia with the M1989 "Koksan" artillery systems, M1991 rocket systems, and KN-23 ballistic missiles. The M1989 "Koksan" is a self-propelled gun with a 6.7-inch caliber, designed in the 1980s to meet the need for long-range artillery capable of targeting strategic locations, including Seoul, the capital of South Korea. The "Koksan" howitzer, mounted on a tracked chassis, ranges from 24 to 37 miles depending on the ammunition used. In his conversation with The War Zone, Budanov remarked, "The 170 mm artillery has powerful ammunition and good capabilities."

The M1991 rocket systems are less well-known but are thought to be a development of Soviet rocket technologies, such as the BM-30 Smerch. The M1991 can fire rockets with a range of up to 124 miles, making it capable of striking strategic targets deep within enemy territory. With the capability to quickly change positions thanks to mobile platforms based on wheeled vehicles, the M1991 complicates enemy counteractions. Regarding this weapon, Budanov noted that "240 mm MLRS are like any other heavy system. They cause more issues on the front lines."

KN-23 ballistic missiles are among the newest additions to North Korea's missile arsenal. First showcased in 2019, they quickly attracted attention from military analysts globally due to their resemblance to the Russian Iskander missile systems. The KN-23 is a tactical short-range ballistic missile known for its maneuverability and low flight trajectory, which make it difficult to intercept with missile defense systems. Depending on the model, this missile can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads and be launched from mobile platforms.