In a surprising turn of events, Russia's utilization of North Korean missiles during attacks in Ukraine has caught the attention of military analysts, who believe that this development will shed light on the effectiveness of these missiles on the battlefield. South Korea's ambassador to the UN, Joonkook Hwang, accused North Korea of using Ukraine as a "test site" for its nuclear-capable missiles, revealing that Russia employed them in attacks on December 30, January 2, and January 4.

Confirming these claims, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stated that Russia had acquired "several dozen" ballistic missiles from North Korea and utilized them in two separate attacks on December 30 and January 2. This revelation has prompted experts to express their opinions on the unique opportunity presented by Russia's use of these missiles in a combat scenario.

Ramon Pacheco Pardo, a representative of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), emphasized the significance of gaining valuable insights into these missiles. Pardo explained that if a war were to occur in the Korean peninsula, North Korea would rely on these missiles. Therefore, assessing their performance during Russian attacks in Ukraine becomes crucial for understanding their accuracy, range, hit rate, and launch failure rate in a real-world battle setting.

Since 2017, North Korea has been actively testing a variety of ballistic and cruise missiles, with a total of 68 missile launches recorded in 2022, according to the North Korea Missile Test Tracker maintained by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. While the US, South Korea, and Japan have been sharing intelligence on these missiles, they have never witnessed their deployment in an actual conflict.

Russia's recent use of North Korean missiles in the Ukrainian context provides an opportunity for the US and North Korea's neighboring countries to evaluate their performance. Analysts anticipate assessing Ukraine's ability to intercept these missiles, as well as comparing the response to North Korean missiles versus Russian ones. If Ukraine exhibits greater success in neutralizing North Korean missiles, it could indicate that North Korean technology is not as advanced as previously thought. This knowledge could be invaluable for improving Western-made air defense systems, such as the US's Patriot, in countering the missile threat posed by North Korea, noted Fabian Hinz, a research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank.

The significance of this development is further emphasized by Ukraine's efforts to analyze debris believed to be from a North Korean missile. Ukraine's prosecutor-general, Andriy Kostin, confirmed that a preliminary examination has identified a missile developed in North Korea that was fired at central Kharkiv on January 2.

The use of North Korean missiles by Russia in Ukraine has drawn the attention of the United States and its allies, leading to a joint statement condemning the act and acknowledging that it provides valuable technical and military insights to the North Korean regime. As the situation unfolds, experts will continue to assess the implications of these missile attacks, with hopes of gaining a better understanding of the capabilities and limitations of North Korean missiles on the battlefield.