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SBU: Russian strikes with North Korean missiles have killed 24 civilians in Ukraine

by Dinara Khalilova and The Kyiv Independent news desk February 22, 2024 2:00 PM 2 min read
Fire and burnt-out cars are seen after a missile strike in Kyiv on Jan. 2, 2024. (Genya Savilov/AFP via Getty Images)
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Russian troops have so far launched over 20 North Korea-made missiles to attack Ukraine, killing at least 24 civilians and injuring over 100, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported on Feb. 22.

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.

Ukrainian authorities identified the North Korean missiles Russia has used to attack Ukraine as the Hwasong-11Ga (KN-23/24).

These missiles contain high-explosive warheads with a capacity equivalent to 500-1,000 kilograms of TNT and have a maximum range of 650 kilometers, according to Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office.

One of the first cases of Russia using North Korean ballistic missiles was recorded on Dec. 30, 2023, during an attack on Zaporizhzhia, the SBU wrote.

The next time, Russia hit an apartment building in Kyiv with a North Korean missile in early January, killing four people and wounding over 50, according to the SBU.

Russia’s use of North Korean ballistic missiles not a sign of Moscow’s depleted domestic capacity
Russia’s missile campaign against Ukraine’s cities and infrastructure is no longer limited by the rate of domestic production as North Korea becomes its top weapons supplier. Pyongyang has allegedly sent Moscow more than 1 million artillery rounds and the mass strikes on Dec. 30 and Jan. 2 provided

Russian forces have also reportedly used North Korea-made missiles to strike five front-line settlements in Donetsk Oblast, killing 17 civilians, and to attack Kharkiv, where three civilians were killed and over 60 injured.

The SBU also said it is establishing routes used by North Korea to supply ballistic missiles to Russia.

Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin said earlier in February that Russian attacks against Ukraine with North Korean missiles had killed 14 civilians and injured 70 more.

A North Korean ballistic missile fired into Ukraine by the Russian military last month contained hundreds of components produced by companies in the U.S. and Europe, the Conflict Armament Research (CAR) organization said in its February report.

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.

Russia, China and North Korea have new dynamics. And it’s bad for Ukraine
The White House announced on Oct. 13 that North Korea had delivered more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and ammunition to bolster Russia’s war against Ukraine. Washington published pictures tracking a set of containers as it traveled from Najin, North Korea, to Dunay, Russia, by a Russ…
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