The Russian military has resumed using North Korean ballistic missiles in its massive air strikes against Ukraine.
This signals Moscow's accumulation of new weapons stockpiles that could dramatically increase the intensity of future attacks. The information was confirmed by military sources and officials quoted in an investigation by the world news agency Reuters
The Deadly Strike Near Kryvyi Rih
According to statements by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, preliminary data from the investigation indicate that Russia used a North Korean ballistic missile in a devastating attack on the village of Radushne, near the city of Kryvyi Rih. The strike completely destroyed a residential building, leading to the deaths of five members of the same family, including three children.
Ukrainian radar systems have detected two specific trajectories characteristic of North Korean tactical ballistic missiles of the KN-23 or KN-24 type. Local experts are currently examining the fragments found at the site for final confirmation, but according to military analysts, their renewed use is an indisputable fact.
End of the year-long hiatus
This incident marks the first recorded use of a North Korean ballistic weapon in the conflict in nearly a year. The last time Ukraine officially confirmed a strike with such a missile was on August 8, 2025.
The return of these weapons to the battlefield after such a long hiatus reveals that the Kremlin has received a fresh batch of supplies from Pyongyang. A military source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that the activation of these new resources coincides with Moscow's deliberate tactic of moving to more intensive use of ballistic missiles, which are extremely difficult to intercept by Ukrainian air defenses.
Technical characteristics and threat to air defense
The North Korean KN-23 and KN-24 missiles have a longer range and a more powerful warhead than their Russian counterparts, the Iskander, although Western analysts say they are less accurate. The main problem for Kiev is that these high-velocity weapons can only be effectively neutralized by modern American air defense systems such as the Patriot. Ukraine is currently experiencing a severe shortage of such air defense interceptors, making the civilian population and critical infrastructure highly vulnerable.
Scale of Cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang
In recent years, the military alliance between Russia and North Korea has deepened significantly, violating a number of international embargo restrictions and UN sanctions.
- Arms supplies: According to data from international monitoring groups, Pyongyang has already supplied Russia with millions of artillery shells and over 100 ballistic missiles.
- Live Force: In 2024, North Korea sent a contingent of 14,000 troops to Russia's Kursk region.
- New threats: Just a few days ago, Zelensky warned that Moscow was preparing to receive a new wave of 30,000 more North Korean soldiers in the Voronezh region, as well as to deliver additional mobile missile launchers.
North Korea's renewed long-range missile terror poses an urgent need for the international community to step up military support for Ukraine as Moscow deploys its newly imported arsenal.