North Korea is expanding a key factory that assembles short-range missiles that researchers say Russia is using in its war against Ukraine. This became known thanks to satellite images analyzed by an American think tank – Reuters.
The plant, known as February 11, is part of the Ryongsong Machine Building Complex located in Hamhun on the east coast of North Korea. It is the second largest city in the country.
Sam Lair, a researcher at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, said that the plant is the only known site for the production of Hwasong-11 solid-fuel ballistic missiles.
According to Ukrainian officials, these missiles, known in the West as KN-23, were used by Russian troops in attacks on Ukrainian territory.
Previously, information about the expansion of this complex was not disclosed.
At the same time, both Russia and North Korea deny the transfer of weapons for use in the war against Ukraine, which has been going on since February 2022. In June, at the summit, the two countries signed a mutual defense agreement and agreed to strengthen military cooperation.
The North Korean mission to the UN did not respond to a request for comment on the situation.
Satellite images taken in early October by Planet Labs show the construction of a new missile assembly facility and a residential complex that is likely intended for workers. These conclusions were made by researchers from the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation(CNS).
In addition, the images show the modernization of entrances to underground facilities on the territory of the complex. For example, an old overhead crane that was hindering access to one of the tunnels has been dismantled. This may indicate the growing strategic importance of this facility, said CNS researcher Sam Lair.
“This shows that they are significantly increasing or planning to significantly increase the capacity of this plant,” said Lair.
The new missile assembly shop is about 60-70% the size of the previous one. In 2023, North Korean state media published images, viewed by Reuters, of the country’s leader Kim Jong Un visiting the new buildings of the Hamhun complex. Workers there were assembling tail sections and nose fairings, presumably for KN-23 missiles.
Earlier, North Korean state media showed that this plant produces a wide range of products, including tank wheels and rocket engine housings, according to Lair.
LOW-FLIGHT MISSILES
The KN-23 missile, first tested in May 2019, is designed to bypass air defense systems with its “low-altitude” flight path. This makes it attractive to Russia, which is looking for ways to break through Ukraine’s air defense system, Reuters experts say.
Since the invasion, Russia has fired thousands of missiles. The involvement of North Korean supplies could reduce the burden on Russian production facilities, said researcher Sam Lair.
North Korea’s state news agency KCNA previously reported on construction work at the Ryongsong machine-building complex. The report said that the plant is “actively implementing a modernization plan” that includes upgrading production facilities, installing new equipment in workshops and a steel shop.
Analysts at SI Analytics, a South Korean company that specializes in analyzing satellite images using AI, also confirmed the new construction at the February 11 plant. According to their report, the construction work near the loading zone is likely aimed at hiding the plant’s operations from satellite surveillance.
“The amount of construction materials, machinery, and loaded open wagons around the facility indicates a rapid pace of work,” the report said. The analysts also noted that the plant produces ballistic missiles, although the specific KN-23 model was not mentioned.
Michael Dutsman of CNS suggested that the new building could be a storage facility, but more likely it is a new missile assembly shop.
Although the share of North Korean missiles in Russian strikes on Ukraine remains insignificant, their possible use is a cause for concern in Seoul and Washington. This indicates a violation of the international consensus on limiting the development of Pyongyang’s missile programs, which has lasted for almost two decades.
SI Analytics has also identified new construction at the nearby 8 February Vinalon complex, which is believed to be producing ballistic missile fuel. This is possibly aimed at increasing the production of solid rocket propellants or the liquid component of UDMG.
Joseph Dempsey of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London believes that the main purpose of the expansion of missile facilities in North Korea is to strengthen its own arsenal. At the same time, he said, it is unknown whether the country has increased its production capacity to meet the new agreements with Moscow.
According to Washington, Kyiv, and Seoul, more than 10,000 North Korean troops are stationed in the Russian region of Kursk, where Ukraine launched a large-scale offensive in August.
These troops are participating in combat operations as part of Russian airborne units and marines. Some of them have already been involved in combat operations in Ukraine, according to a South Korean member of parliament who is a member of the intelligence committee.
Russia has not denied the participation of the North Korean military in the war, which has been going on since its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
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