A blundering Russian drone operator has blown up a North Korean supplied surface to air missile (SAM) after mistakenly believing it belonged to Ukraine.
The incident happened in the Kursk region of Russia as Ukraine continues a fresh incursion into the Russian territory.
Russian military bloggers had initially claimed that a western supplied missile to Ukraine had been destroyed but further analysis by Alexander Kovalenko, a prominent Ukrainian military and political analyst found this not to be the case.
Kovalenko’s analysis showed that the destruction of the SAM was a case of “friendly fire” in an incident likely to cause embarrassment to the Kremlin.
The incident serves as a reminder of the role of North Korea in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
Pyongyang has been coy in publicly announcing what it has supplied to aid Putin’s war effort but it is known that short-range nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, self-propelled guns and thousands of troops have been sent to bolster Russian forces.
Kovalenko said that the incident was not initially reported by western or South Korean intelligence, suggesting that the supply route might not previously have been one that intelligence agencies were aware existed.
This theory is further supported by the fact that evidently, the logistic supply route was seemingly unknown to Russian forces operating in the area.
Kovalenko is a prominent commentator on the war in Ukraine and has 10,000 followers on Telegram and said: “So…Russia has received North Korean air defense systems for use.
“This suggests that Russia has a problem with air defense. Although we already know about this, the [Russian occupational forces] lack air defense systems and now this is one of the most catastrophically deficient categories.
“Russia asks [North Korea] 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.”
Ukraine has said for months that Pyongyang has provided Russia with equipment and soldiers. A recent intelligence report said that Moscow had received more than 100 KN-23 and KN-24 short-range nuclear-capable ballistic missiles.
The report said: “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.
“Along with the missiles, Pyongyang then sent its military specialists to Russia to service the launchers and participate in war crimes against Ukraine.”
