DPRK missile strike indicates new Russian stocks, attacks may intensify

Russia's first use of a North Korean missile against Ukraine since August may indicate new weapons stocks that Moscow can use to intensify missile attacks.

Russia has previously launched DPRK missiles at Ukrainian targets. However, their first use in a long time points to a fresh replenishment of the arsenal, Reuters reported citing a military source.

This refers to the strike on the night of July 30 on the settlement of Radushne near Kryvyi Rih. According to preliminary data, the Russian troops used a North Korean ballistic missile. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that its type and origin still need to be definitively established after studying the debris.

The Russian army has already used DPRK ballistic missiles of the KN-23 and KN-24 series against Ukraine. Ukrainian experts have determined that they have distinctive design, engine, and electronic component features that can identify their origin.

Zelenskyy linked the new strike to the expansion of military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang. According to him, Russia receives missiles and other military aid from the DPRK. Amid the risk of intensified attacks, the president called on partners to accelerate the supply of missiles for Patriot systems and other air defense systems to Ukraine.

Based on materials from: Reuters, KURS Ukraine