North Korea is already using Russia Pantsir S-1 air defense systems in Pyongyang, Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR), said in an interview with Hromadske Radio on July 1.

The arrival of Pantsir missiles is another sign that North Korea is improving its weapons technology and military might through cooperation with Russia. The two nations signed a defense treaty in June 2024, and North Korea has supplied arms and troops to Moscow in exchange for training and advanced military technology.

"I can tell you that, for example, the first Pantsir S-1 installations have already appeared in Pyongyang," Budanov told Hromadske Radio.

"They are already on combat duty there, guarding their capital. And the Russians are retraining Korean personnel, and soon the Koreans will be working autonomously on this technology."

The Pansir S-1 is the same air defense system Russia uses to guard its military-industrial facilities. It carries an estimated price tag of around $15 million.

North Korea is "currently significantly increasing its military power" through direct cooperation with Russia, Budanov said. It benefits from Russia's ongoing technology transfers and the "real combat experience" personnel gained by fighting alongside Russian troops against Ukraine.  

Budanov also said Ukraine expects "a significant increase" in the number of North Korean citizens in Russia. Some of these citizens will sign up for the Russian military, making it seem less like an official transfer of North Korean personnel and more like voluntary registration from invidivual citizens.

The day before Budanov's comments, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un publicly honored his country's soldiers who were killed fighting in Russia's war against Ukraine. The ceremony coincided with a visit by Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova, illustrating the deepening military alliance between Moscow and Pyongyang continues.

Russia has also reportedly provided North Korea with advanced electronic warfare systems, helped the country build modern warships, and improved its KN-23 ballistic missiles.

In June, Budanov said that Moscow has agreed to assist Pyongyang in mass-producing Shahed-type attack drones.

Russia-Iran alliance wavers as Tehran suffers major blows

Tehran, Russia’s main ally in the Middle East, has been dealt a heavy blow as Israel dismantled its network of proxies and then struck targets in Iran. The recent Iranian-Israeli war, which ended with a ceasefire on June 24, showed that the regional balance of power has shifted in Israel’s favor. This could have a major impact on Russian-Iranian relations as Moscow will have to recalibrate its approach to the region. Russian-Iranian cooperation is likely to continue but Iran’s ability to help

The Kyiv IndependentOleg Sukhov

On the night of June 27–28, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) carried out a drone strike on the Kirovske military airfield in Russian-occupied Crimea.

According to an official statement, the strike destroyed several Russian helicopters — including Mi-8, Mi-26, and Mi-28 — as well as a Pantsir-S1 self-propelled air defense system. Additional damage was reported to ammunition depots, air defense infrastructure, and drone facilities.

“The occupiers must understand: their expensive equipment is not safe anywhere — not on the front line, not in occupied territory, not in the rear,” the statement said.

Secondary explosions and ongoing strikes

Secondary detonations continued throughout the night, suggesting munitions storage sites were hit. This marked the second consecutive day the SBU reported destroying Russian military assets in Crimea.

On 26 June, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) announced that its Prymary (Ghosts) unit carried out a separate drone strike on five key components of Russia’s S-400 Triumf air defense system. Targets included two multifunction radars, two detection radars, and one missile launcher.

Russia acknowledges drone activity

Russia’s Ministry of Defense confirmed a drone attack over Crimea, claiming that nine Ukrainian UAVs were intercepted.

While independent visual confirmation is still pending, local Telegram channels reported explosions in the Kirovske area. The monitoring group Crimean Wind documented five to six explosions between 2:50 and 3:02 AM, following drone activity. Russian air defenses reportedly fired in the Dzhankoi district around 1:30 AM.

Fires detected by satellite

According to Crimean Wind, citing NASA FIRMS satellite data, large fires were detected at the airfield. The group published annotated imagery showing multiple heat sources, including on or near helicopter pads.

At least one helicopter was reportedly seen burning, and air defense positions and depots appear to have been hit.