North Korea developing nuclear missiles, submarines with Russian help — Budanov

This was stated by the head of Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence (HUR), Kyrylo Budanov.

"The first batch of KN-23 missiles delivered by North Korea to Russia was highly flawed: half veered off course or exploded mid-air. Now they hit their targets accurately — this is the result of joint work by North Korean and Russian specialists," he said.

In return, North Korea supplies Russia with manpower, outdated but still effective military equipment, and low-cost production capacity to support its war against Ukraine.

Specifically, Russian forces are using Korean-made 122-mm D-74 guns, various 107-mm and 240-mm rocket artillery systems, and 170-mm M1989 (Koksan) self-propelled artillery.

The head of the HUR stressed that this cooperation between Russia and North Korea could shift the military balance in East Asia: "Agreements to set up production of Harpy and Geran drones on North Korean territory — Russia’s version of the Iranian Shahed-136 — could seriously alter the balance of power between North and South Korea."

• In early June, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, during a meeting in Pyongyang with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu, said that the DPRK would continue to support Russia in its war against Ukraine.