It appears that North Korea is using its alliance with Russia, and its involvement in the conflict with Ukraine, to test its military capabilities.
The war in Ukraine as a testing ground. According to British news agency Reuters, citing two sources linked to the Ukrainian army, the North Korean ballistic missiles launched by Russian soldiers since December 2024 have, in just a few weeks, shown a considerably improved accuracy. Whereas their accuracy was estimated at 1 to 3km from the intended target, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), they are now said to be capable of firing at 50 and 100 meters from their target.
In recent weeks, Russia has fired more than 20 North Korean missiles, all more accurate than before, according to a Ukrainian source. As quoted by Reuters, Pyongyang may have improved the navigation systems of its missiles, integrated new steering mechanisms or received targeting data and guidance components with optimized efficiency from Moscow.
As the ISW points out, these North Korean weapons are intended not only to bolster Russia’s arsenal, but also to enable North Korea to improve its capabilities with a view to potential future military operations elsewhere in the world (notably in South Korea)
