In a shocking revelation that could escalate global tensions, Ukrainian military sources have confirmed that a North Korean ballistic missile was used in a deadly Russian strike on Kyiv. The attack, which occurred overnight, killed at least eight people and left around ten others missing under the rubble of a residential building in the city’s Sviatoshynskyi district.
According to a Ukrainian military insider who spoke with Reuters, the weapon responsible was a KN-23 (KN-23A) missile — a powerful short-range ballistic missile developed by North Korea. The missile is believed to have carried a warhead weighing up to one tonne, making it more destructive than similar Russian-made systems.
The Kremlin has yet to comment specifically on this strike, maintaining only that it targets “military and military-adjacent” sites in Ukraine. However, the use of North Korean weaponry raises serious concerns over the extent of military collaboration between Moscow and Pyongyang — a relationship that has grown significantly since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Despite denials from both Russia and North Korea about violating United Nations arms embargoes, Ukrainian intelligence claims that Pyongyang has supplied Moscow with a significant arsenal since late 2023. This includes thousands of artillery shells, multiple rocket systems, troops, and a growing cache of ballistic missiles.
Ukraine’s military intelligence estimates that by early 2025, Russia had received at least 148 KN-23 and KN-24 missiles from North Korea — marking a substantial and controversial shift in its wartime capabilities.
Though Ukrainian officials have not publicly confirmed the missile’s origin in official briefings, they did report that seven ballistic missiles were used in the overnight assault, broadly categorized as Iskander-M/KN-23 types. The specific identification of the KN-23 variant adds new weight to fears of deepening cooperation between Russia and North Korea.
This development is not only alarming for Europe but also deeply unsettling for Asia-Pacific allies like South Korea, who worry that wartime coordination and battlefield tactics tested in Ukraine could one day be replicated closer to home.
The world now watches closely, as the growing Russia–North Korea alliance could redefine global security risks and deepen the crisis in Ukraine.
