Russian forces fired North Korean missiles at a power facility — keyche — overnight, Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky said on Saturday, while again urging allies to speed up shipments of interceptive missiles.
Technical assessments are under way in countries hit by ballistic missiles. According to preliminary findings, in one of the main energy facilities that was damaged, the Russians used KN-23 missiles produced and supplied by North Korea, he wrote in a post on social networks.
Zelensky said Russia had launched 36 ballistic missiles in the capital Kyev and the surrounding region, and that four of them were down.
KN-23 is a short-range ballistic missile action of North Korea with a maximum range of action of about 690km, according to the Centre for Strategic and International Research website for Missile Threat.
It is thought to have been tested for the first time in May 2019 and similar to the Iscarnder-M missile produced in Russia.
Ukraine’s Defence Ministry said in April of this year that KN-23 was used in earlier attacks on Ukraine, adding that the weapon was extremely difficult to deal with air defence systems.
North Korea is believed to have sent more than 16,000 troops to support Russian forces since October 2024, as well as to secure ammunition. In June of that year, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong signed a comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andri Syhbira said Russia’s recent attacks had targeted critical energy infrastructure, while Moscow again stepped up attacks before the winter months. Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s electricity network during wartime winter periods in a campaign to break the country’s determination.
Moscow is deliberately seeking to leave millions of Ukrainians without electricity, heat, and water as winter approaches, Syhbiza wrote on X.
Zelensky said the attacks were also most likely part of a Kremlin tactic to exert additional pressure on Ukraine’s negotiating position ahead of planned tripartite talks between Kiev, Moscow and Washington in Abu Dhabi.
Night-night air strikes in the Kiev region left at least six people injured, including a child, and damaged a bridge and power facilities, local authorities and Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said.
Source Layer: Dukeagini