Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky [Reuters/Yonhap]
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky [Reuters/Yonhap]

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that Russia had attacked Ukraine using North Korean ballistic missiles.

Zelensky wrote on social media that the Zaporizhzhia region had come under Russian attack overnight, saying the strikes involved "North Korean ballistic missiles, Zircon missiles and guided aerial bombs."

"Every step Russia takes — increasing ballistic missile production, bringing in North Korean equipment, preparing for mobilization — shows that Moscow is preparing for escalation, not peace," he wrote.

Zelensky said the attack killed six Ukrainian civilians and wounded 19 others. He condemned it as "a brutal strike deliberately intended to cause maximum damage to civilian infrastructure."

It was the second time this year that Zelensky has said Russia used North Korean missiles against Ukraine.

On July 30, Zelensky said Russia had struck Ukraine with North Korean missiles for the first time in roughly a year since August last year.

In a national address Monday, he also warned that Russia was deploying more North Korean troops and had received additional ballistic missiles, saying the developments could pose a threat to South Korea and other countries.

Ukraine believes North Korean missile units have already begun deploying to Russia's western Voronezh region, about 600 kilometers from the targeted Zaporizhzhia area.

According to Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate, the North Korean missile unit currently numbers about 90 personnel and has been equipped with 40 North Korean missiles, including KN-23 and KN-24 variants, along with their operators. Ukrainian authorities believe the unit could ultimately receive up to 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers.

Russia began firing North Korean missiles — including the KN-23 and KN-24 — at Ukraine in late 2023. According to Ukraine, North Korea supplied Russia with about 150 missiles from that point through August last year.


husn7@heraldcorp.com