Ukrainian President Zelensky stated on Thursday (July 30th) that Russia used a North Korean-made missile to attack a village in Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of five members of a family. This marks the first deployment of such weapons in nearly a year since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Officials in Ukraine reported that Russia launched a large-scale attack during the night, firing dozens of missiles and hundreds of drones at Ukraine, resulting in at least nine deaths.
Zelensky mentioned in his evening address that a missile leveled a residence in the village of Radushne near the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, killing a couple and their three children.
He said the whereabouts of the four remaining children of the family are still unknown, and the condition of their one and a half-year-old grandson is also uncertain.
Zelensky stated that preliminary data indicates that the missile used in the attack on Radushne was of North Korean origin.
Earlier, Reuters had reported, citing sources, that the missiles used in this attack were likely from North Korea.
A military source told Reuters that while Russia had previously launched North Korean missiles at targets in Ukraine, this was the first deployment since August of last year, indicating Russia’s possession of a new arsenal as they intensify missile attacks.
The military source pointed out that the use of North Korean missiles aligns with Russia’s current tactical shift towards more use of ballistic missiles like the Iskander 9M723, which are typically not easily intercepted by American-made Patriot air defense systems.
A Ukraine military source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, revealed to Reuters that during the attack, Ukrainian radar detected two missile flight paths, exhibiting characteristics consistent with the trajectories of North Korean KN-23 or KN-24 short-range ballistic missiles heading towards Kryvyi Rih.
The source mentioned that two radar tracks typically indicate the launch of four missiles, but they were unaware of the landing locations of the other missiles. To make a precise assessment, investigators need to study the missile remnants found at the scene, a process that is still ongoing. However, the source also expressed confidence that it was a North Korean missile.
Russia began launching North Korean-made KN-23 (Pukkuksong-11A) and KN-24 (Pukkuksong-11B) missiles at Ukraine at the end of 2023.
The military source further indicated that compared to Russia’s Iskander short-range ballistic missiles, the North Korean missiles have larger warheads, longer ranges, but relatively lower accuracy.
In 2024, North Korea deployed 14,000 soldiers to assist Russian forces in the Kursk region of Ukraine. Additionally, North Korea provided millions of artillery shells for Russia’s military operations.
Last week, Zelensky issued a warning stating that the Kremlin is seeking another deployment of 30,000 soldiers from North Korea.