A Russian drone strike mistakenly targeted and destroyed a North Korean-made surface-to-air missile system in the Kursk border region. This incident highlights the growing support North Korea provides to Russia in its war against Ukraine, including the supply of ballistic missiles, artillery, and even troops.
Russian forces reportedly destroyed one of its surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems, believed to have been supplied by North Korea , in the Kursk border region. This incident occurred amidst a fresh incursion by Ukrainian forces. Newsweek reached out to the Kremlin for comment on Monday. Initially, Russian military bloggers on Telegram claimed that Russian troops had successfully eliminated a system provided to Ukraine by Western nations.
However, Alexander Kovalenko, a prominent Ukrainian military and political analyst, analyzed the situation and concluded that Russia had unintentionally destroyed the SAM in a case of 'friendly fire,' as first reported by the Ukrainian Independent Information Agency. This incident sheds light on North Korea's ongoing support for Russia in the ongoing war. Pyongyang has been reported to have supplied Russia with various military equipment, including short-range nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, self-propelled guns, and even troops, to bolster Russia's military capabilities. Kovalenko emphasized that the transfer of the destroyed SAM was not disclosed by either Western or South Korean intelligence agencies. This suggests the existence of clandestine logistic supply chains between North Korea and Russia, which remain undetected by both Western and South Korean intelligence, a development he described as 'extremely, extremely alarming.'Kovalenko, a Ukrainian military and political analyst with a substantial following of over 100,000 subscribers on Telegram, stated that a Russian drone operator mistakenly targeted the North Korea-made SAM in the Kursk region, believing it to be a Western system. Ukrainian news outlet Militarnyi supported Kovalenko's claim by analyzing battlefield footage and photographs, revealing that the North Korean system destroyed by Russian forces bore a striking resemblance to Western systems employed by Ukrainian troops in the region. Ukraine has consistently alleged for months that North Korea has been supplying Russia with equipment and personnel to aid in its war effort. In November, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence reported that Moscow had received over 100 KN-23 and KN-24 short-range nuclear-capable ballistic missiles. The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine asserted, '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.' They further stated, 'Along with the missiles, Pyongyang then sent its military specialists to Russia to service the launchers and participate in war crimes against Ukraine.' Ukrainian military and political analyst Alexander Kovalenko, commenting on Telegram, stated, 'So...Russia has received North Korean air defense systems for use.' This observation suggests that Russia is facing a critical shortage in its air defense capabilities. Kovalenko further noted that 'although we already know about this, the lack of air defense systems and now this is one of the most catastrophically deficient categories.' He added that 'Russia asks 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.'South Korea, Ukraine, and the United States have estimated that Russia has deployed upwards of 10,000 troops to reinforce its forces in Ukraine. Given the strong ties between Pyongyang and Moscow, it is highly likely that North Korea's support for Russia in the ongoing war will continue. Last year, the two nations signed a mutual defense treaty that obligates them to assist each other if either comes under an armed attack.
NORTH KOREA RUSSIA SAM SYSTEM KURSK UKRAINE WAR FRIENDLY FIRE MILITARY SUPPORT BALLISTIC MISSILES ARTILLERY
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