---
title: "Russia deploys North Korean ballistic missiles in Voronezh region: 7 Ukrainian regions under threat — ISW"
description: "ISW, citing GUR, reported the deployment of launchers for North Korean ballistic missiles KN-23/KN-24/KN-30 in the Voronezh region. From the new positions, seven Ukrainian oblasts are within range."
date: 2026-08-21T07:32:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/russia-deploys-north-korean-missiles-voronezh-region-7-ukrainian-regions-threat-isw
tags: [russia, north-korea, missiles, ukraine, isw, voronezh, ballistic-missiles]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Russia deploys North Korean ballistic missiles in Voronezh region: 7 Ukrainian regions under threat — ISW

![Ballistic missile launch with fiery trail against cloudy sky — Russia deploys North Korean missiles in Voronezh region, 7 Ukrainian regions under threat per ISW](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/21/rf-razver-rakety-kndr-voronezhskaya-oblast-7-regionov-ukrainy-isw/rf-razver-rakety-kndr-voronezhskaya-oblast-7-regionov-ukrainy-isw-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- According to ISW and the GUR of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, Russian troops have deployed six launchers for North Korean ballistic missiles (KN-23/KN-24/KN-30) in the Voronezh region with a total potential of around 120 missiles.
- From these positions, seven Ukrainian oblasts are within range: Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Poltava, Kyiv, Dnipro, and Zaporizhzhia.
- North Korean missiles carry a more massive warhead but have significantly lower accuracy compared to the Iskander-M, which increases risks to civilian infrastructure.
- Discrepancies in warhead mass (up to 1000 kg vs. 2000–2500 kg) and supply volume (dozens vs. more than 100 units) are due to different complex modifications and cumulative intelligence estimates.

According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), based on reports from the Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Russian armed forces have begun deploying launchers for North Korean-made ballistic missiles in the Voronezh region. According to the analytical report, a missile unit is being formed in the region, which may include around 90 North Korean military personnel and six launchers capable of launching approximately 120 ballistic missiles in total. As RBC-Ukraine notes, this increases the missile threat to at least seven regions of Ukraine.

### Deployment in the Voronezh region

Ukrainian military intelligence has confirmed the transfer to Russia of a batch of North Korean ballistic missiles — estimated at around 50 units of KN-23, KN-24 types, and upgraded KN-30 (also known as Hwansong-11C). The KN-30 is a modified version of the KN-23 and, according to available data, is capable of carrying a heavier warhead. The placement of launch positions in the Voronezh region, located in the western part of Russia, reduces the flight time of missiles to Ukrainian targets and expands the list of regions within range.

### Range zone: seven regions

ISW analysts indicate that from the new positions in the Voronezh region, North Korean missiles can strike the Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Poltava, Kyiv, Dnipro, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts of Ukraine. Thus, both northern and eastern regions, as well as the capital and southern directions, are under potential threat. Ukrainian military expert Anatoly Khrapchinsky notes that Russian forces do not always deploy all available launchers during each strike campaign: for example, with around 160 Iskander launchers (two missiles per launcher), an average of 16 to 26 missiles are launched.

### Tactical and technical context and accuracy

According to Khrapchinsky, Russian Iskander-M missiles demonstrate a circular error probable within 5 to 20 meters, whereas North Korean KN-23s, according to him, regularly miss the target by hundreds of meters and even kilometers. At the same time, North Korean complexes carry a more massive warhead compared to the standard 480-kilogram Iskander-M warhead, which leads to the formation of larger craters and an enhanced shockwave. The combination of increased warhead mass and low accuracy, according to experts, increases risks to civilian infrastructure and settlements.

### Contradictory data

Discrepancies are observed in open sources and analytical reports regarding key tactical and technical parameters and the volume of supplies. Firstly, the warhead mass is given in different ranges: some reports indicate up to 1000 kg, others up to 2000–2500 kg (for the heavy KN-30 / Hwansong-11C modification). This difference is explained by the fact that the line of North Korean complexes includes several modifications (KN-23, KN-23B, heavy versions) differing in warhead mass and range. Secondly, the total volume of transferred missiles is estimated differently — from several dozen to more than one hundred units; such a spread reflects cumulative estimates by the GUR and Western intelligence services for different periods of supply, not a single batch. In this regard, technical parameters in this publication are given as approximate ranges without categorical statements.

### Broader context of supplies

The deployment in the Voronezh region is taking place against the backdrop of a larger transfer of weapons: recently, North Korea reportedly sent Russia a batch of more than 100 ballistic missiles and specialized missile units. Experts warn that the integration of North Korean complexes into the Russian missile force could lead to more extensive destruction and potential casualties among Ukraine's civilian population. In western Russia, according to the GUR, the formation of a missile unit with North Korean personnel has already begun.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [7 Ukrainian regions under threat. Russia deploys North Korean missiles in the Voronezh region, - ISW](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/pid-zagrozoyu-7-regioniv-ukrayini-rosiya-1787296851.html) - Подтверждает развертывание ПУ для северокорейских ракет в Воронежской области и угрозу для семи регионов Украины со ссылкой на ISW.
- [Governor Kozyemko, North Korea, Iran: what is known about new sanctions imposed by the EU](https://www.rfi.fr/ru/%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B0/20240601-%D0%B3%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80-%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B6%D0%B5%D0%BC%D1%8F%D0%BA%D0%BE-%D0%BA%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80-%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD-%D1%87%D1%82%D0%BE-%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%BE-%D0%BE-%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%8B%D1%85-%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BA%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%8F%D1%85-%D0%B2%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8B%D1%85-%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%8E%D0%B7%D0%BE%D0%BC) - Контекстный источник о санкционном давлении ЕС на КНДР; не является первичным для ТТХ ракет, использован лишь как фоновый контекст.
- [Russian army deploys North Korean missile systems in Voronezh region: ISW named ...](https://www.bagnet.org/news/world/1402497/v-voronezhskoy-oblasti-armiya-rf-razvorachivaet-severokoreyskie-raketnye-kompleksy-isw-nazval-vozmozhnye-tseli) - Подтверждает факт разворачивания северокорейских ракетных комплексов и перечень возможных целей по данным ISW.
- [North Korea transferred new missiles with 2500 kg warheads to Russia, and now seven Ukrainian regions are under threat ...](https://tsn.ua/ru/ukrayina/kndr-peredala-rf-novye-rakety-s-boegolovkami-v-2500-kg-i-teper-pod-ugrozoy-sem-oblastey-ukrainy-isw-3152867.html) - Подтверждает передачу ракет и угрозу семи областей; фигурирует верхняя граница массы БЧ (2500 кг), что отражено как диапазон из-за модификаций.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Which specific North Korean missiles, according to ISW and GUR, are being deployed in the Voronezh region?
**A:** We are talking about ballistic missiles of the KN-23, KN-24 types, and upgraded KN-30 (Hwansong-11C). According to estimates, a batch of around 50 units has been transferred, and up to 120 missiles in total can be placed on six launchers.

### Q: How many Ukrainian regions fall within range from the new positions?
**A:** According to ISW, seven oblasts are under threat: Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Poltava, Kyiv, Dnipro, and Zaporizhzhia.

### Q: How do North Korean missiles differ from Russian Iskander-Ms?
**A:** According to expert Anatoly Khrapchinsky, the Iskander-M has an accuracy within 5–20 meters, whereas KN-23s miss by hundreds of meters or kilometers. At the same time, North Korean missiles carry a more massive warhead, which enhances the destructive effect but reduces targeting accuracy.

### Q: Why are there different figures for warhead mass and number of missiles in sources?
**A:** The spread in warhead mass (up to 1000 kg vs. 2000–2500 kg) is explained by different modifications of the line (KN-23 vs. heavy versions), and the spread in the number of supplies (dozens vs. more than 100) — by cumulative intelligence estimates for different periods. Therefore, parameters are given as approximate ranges.