Ukrainian forces have struck another Russian military depot storing North Korean weapons, according to Kyiv, amid signs that DPRK arms shipments have continued in recent months.

But Moscow dismissed reports that North Koren soldiers are in Russia-occupied Donbas as a “hoax,” after Ukraine claimed DPRK personnel are supervising the use of the country’s weapons.

The latest attack took place near the town of Karachev in the Bryansk region of western Russia, just over 100 km from the Ukrainian border, the head of Kyiv’s Center for Countering Disinformation Andrii Kovalenko said in a Telegram post on Wednesday.

Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed the strike a few hours later, stating that units of the Unmanned Systems Forces hit “the 67th arsenal of the Main Missile and Artillery Directorate” operated by the Russian defense ministry.

“According to the available information, the arsenal stored ammunition for missile and artillery systems, including those delivered from North Korea, as well as glide bombs,” the General Staff announced on Facebook, adding that “much of the ammunition was stored in the open.”

The attack reportedly caused multiple explosions, leading local authorities to block the road near the arms depot, according to the statement.

The General Staff released satellite imagery pinpointing the arsenal’s location in Karachev, while local Telegram channels shared videos purportedly showing fires caused by the strike.

Although Russian authorities did not officially confirm the strike, the defense ministry reported that it shot down 24 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the Bryansk region that night.

The regional Ministry of Emergency Situations also stated in a public announcement that it had detected an emergency “related to the explosions” in Karachev on Wednesday.

Ukraine’s alleged destruction of the North Korean arms comes as NK Pro analysis shows Russian vessels tied to arms shipments have continued to visit the DPRK port of Rason in recent months.

Chris Monday, a Russia expert at Dongseo University, said that while Russia relies on “outdated” North Korean munitions,” these weapons “can’t be jammed and are well suited to Russian personnel.”

“North Korean arms are gradually overwhelming Western trained, NATO-armed Ukrainian troops,” he told NK News, but added that “the West still holds a key advantage in surveillance.”

“The West must also worry that the Ukraine war is providing a template for how North Korea (and China) can intervene to offset Western power.”

The strike follows a similar Ukrainian UAV attack in early September targeting another arms depot in Russia’s Voronezh region, also reportedly storing North Korean missiles.

The Ukrainian army continued attacking Russian military arsenals allegedly containing DPRK weapons, including one in Tikhoretsk and two in the Tver region near Moscow, according to the General Staff.

The war in Ukraine spilled beyond Donbas in early August, with Kyiv’s troops launching an incursion into the Russian region of Kursk and reportedly seizing multiple villages. Meanwhile, Russia has advanced in Donetsk, capturing the city of Vuhledar in early October.

DPRK BOOTS IN DONBAS

The Bryansk strike came shortly after media reports about the deaths of six North Korean military officers began circulating in Ukrainian media.

South Korea’s defense chief Kim Yong-hyun said that the reports were likely true, adding speculation that North Korea may dispatch more troops to fight on Russia’s side in Donbas.

Kovalenko of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation asserted that North Korean military personnel like engineering corps are already present in Ukraine, albeit in small numbers.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the reports “another disinformation hoax,” dismissing the possibility of DPRK troop deployments to Donbas, according to TASS.

North Korea and Russia signed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership agreement in June, pledging to provide each other with military support if one of them comes under an external attack.

Edited by Bryan Betts