North Korea Test-Fires KN-30 Missile 910 km, Having Previously Supplied Such Missiles to Russia
North Korea launched a KN-30 ballistic missile on October 12, flying more than 910 km. North Korea had previously supplied Russia with missiles of this model.
North Korea’s state news agency KCNA reported the launch and published photographs.
According to Yonhap, the secretary-general of the Korea Defense and Security Forum identified the missile in the photographs of the five-axle launchers as the Hwasong-11Da-2.5, also known by its Western designation, KN-30.
It is a North Korean solid-fuel, short-range ballistic missile with a reported warhead weight of 2.5 tonnes.
Militarnyi previously reported that North Korea launched at least two ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan on October 12. According to Japan’s Ministry of Defense, one missile flew approximately 220 km, while the other traveled more than 910 km and reached a maximum altitude of around 70 km.
KCNA reported that the test aimed to assess upgrades to key components of the missile systems.
However, Pyongyang did not disclose which components had been upgraded, nor did it officially identify the missile model tested or its flight range.
Russia has reportedly received KN-30 ballistic missiles from North Korea, which it could potentially use to strike Ukraine.
The transfer was reported on August 20, after the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine responded to a request from journalists at Ukrainska Pravda. According to the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, as of July 2026, Russia had approximately 50 North Korean KN-23, KN-24, and KN-30 ballistic missiles combined.
Russian forces have previously used North Korean KN-23 and KN-24 missiles to strike Ukraine. However, there is currently no confirmed information that KN-30 missiles have been used in combat against Ukraine.
Read more details on the development of North Korea’s missile capabilities and Russia’s role in the process in Militarnyi’s article titled “North Korea’s Missile Program with Russian Support: A New Threat to the US and Its Allies.”
KN-30 Ballistic Missile
KN-30 is the Western designation for the North Korean Hwasong-11C ballistic missile, also known as the Hwasong-11Da. It is an enlarged version of the Hwasong-11 missile family. The missile is powered by a solid-propellant rocket motor and is launched from a mobile ground-based launcher mounted on a five-axle wheeled chassis.
North Korea first publicly presented the KN-30 at a military parade in Pyongyang on January 14, 2021. Its first known test launches took place on March 25 of the same year. At the time, North Korea claimed the missile had a range of 600 km, although Japanese and South Korean military authorities detected a flight distance of approximately 420–450 km.
North Korea has stated that the missile can be equipped with a warhead weighing 2.5 tonnes. However, this claim has not yet been independently confirmed.
Source: Militaryni
