Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Saturday that Russian forces utilized North Korean-supplied weaponry during an overnight assault on critical energy infrastructure. According to preliminary findings from ongoing technical assessments at the impact sites, the Russian military deployed KN-23 ballistic missiles, which are manufactured and supplied by North Korea.
The barrage involved a total of 36 ballistic missiles launched at Kyiv and the surrounding region, with Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepting four of them. The KN-23 is a short-range ballistic missile with a maximum range of approximately 690 kilometers, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Missile Threat site. The weapon is thought to have been first tested in May 2019 and bears a strong visual resemblance to the Russian-made Iskander-M missile.
Local authorities and Ukraine’s State Emergency Service reported that the overnight strikes left at least six people injured, including a child. The attacks caused damage to a bridge and various energy facilities. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that the Pivnichnyi Bridge was hit and noted that infrastructure in the Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions sustained damage. He described the situation regarding the capital’s energy supply as extremely difficult, resulting in widespread disruptions to heating and water services.
President Zelenskyy detailed that the offensive targeted a substation connecting the Rivne and Khmelnytskyi nuclear plants to Kyiv, alongside substations located in the Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Rivne, Kharkiv, and Dnipro regions. A kindergarten was also partially destroyed during the barrage. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha alleged that Moscow is intentionally attempting to deprive millions of Ukrainians of electricity, heating, and water as winter approaches.
Beyond the immediate damage, Zelenskyy suggested the strikes were a Kremlin strategy to pressure Ukraine’s negotiating position ahead of planned trilateral talks involving Kyiv, Moscow, and Washington in Abu Dhabi. He once again urged international allies to accelerate the delivery of interceptor missiles. The ongoing military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang has deepened since the signing of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty by Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un in June 2024, with North Korea reportedly providing munitions and over 16,000 troops to support Russian forces since October 2024.
