Russia has launched at least 24 North Korean missiles against Ukraine, Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin said, Interfax-Ukraine reported on Feb. 16.
Since last autumn, North Korea has reportedly provided Russia with extensive weapons supplies, including artillery shells and ballistic missiles. Western and Ukrainian officials have confirmed their use in Ukraine.
"Currently, at least 24 ballistic missiles that were most likely produced in North Korea were used during Russian missile attacks on the territory of Ukraine" between Dec. 30, 2023, and Feb. 7, Kostin told journalists in Kyiv.
Russian forces reportedly carried out 12 attacks against seven Ukrainian oblasts with these weapons. Some 14 civilians were killed in these strikes, and 70 more were injured, Kostin said.
The most extensive use of this weaponry was recorded on Feb. 7, when Kyiv was attacked with one North Korean missile, while Pavlohrad and Kharkiv with two missiles each, according to the official.
The missiles' origin was confirmed in an analysis by a joint working group of the Prosecutor General's Office and the Defense Ministry, Kostin said.
Based on these findings, the missiles contain high-explosive warheads with a capacity equivalent to 500-1,000 kilograms of TNT and have a maximum range of 650 kilometers.
The U.S. and nearly 50 countries condemned the transfer and the use of North Korean missiles by Russia, calling for an immediate end to the delivery of weapons from Pyongyang to Moscow.
South Korea warned on Jan. 11 that its northern neighbor may also sell Russia new types of tactical guided missiles as military cooperation between the two countries strengthens.
Kateryna Hodunova
(Updated: )
