Zelenskyy says Russia used North Korean missiles in overnight Ukraine attacks
Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Russia deployed North Korean ballistic missiles during a massive overnight barrage that killed six people in Zaporizhzhia.
Russia launched a massive, combined wave of ballistic missiles, anti-ship weapons, and strike drones against Ukraine overnight from Monday night through Tuesday morning, striking civilian infrastructure, industrial sites, and the grounds of a medical facility in the capital. According to NHK World reporting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that North Korean ballistic missiles were deployed during the bombardment, accusing Moscow of actively preparing for a wider escalation rather than seeking peace.
The coordinated assault involved Zircon anti-ship missiles, Iskander-M ballistic weapons, and North Korean KN-23 ballistic missiles, alongside a swarm of 120 drones, United24 Media reported, citing Ukraine’s Air Force. The drone contingent included jet-powered Shahed-type strike unmanned aerial vehicles, Gerbera drones, and Parodiya decoy units launched from multiple Russian regions as well as temporarily occupied areas in Donetsk and Crimea.
Media additions
The most severe casualties occurred in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia, where regional military administration head Ivan Fedorov confirmed that at least six people were killed and 19 wounded following strikes by missiles and guided aerial bombs. Residential and non-residential properties, industrial facilities, a garage complex, and local power lines suffered heavy damage, leaving portions of the city grappling with outages.
In Kyiv, a ballistic missile strike impacted the grounds of a children’s hospital located in the Shevchenkivskyi district. According to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service, the impact left two craters on the property, shattering windows and fracturing a gas pipe that triggered a leak subsequently contained by emergency crews. Children and medical personnel managed to escape injury by sheltering before the impact. A separate warehouse strike elsewhere in the capital sparked a major fire covering approximately 1,200 square meters, injuring one person.
Additional strikes hit the Bucha district, damaging warehouse facilities and transport trucks, while critical infrastructure was targeted in Kherson, cutting off electricity and water supplies across several districts.
Ukrainian air defenses, aviation units, electronic warfare teams, and mobile fire units reported intercepting or suppressing 98 incoming unmanned aerial vehicles across the north, south, and east. However, remaining missiles and 22 drones penetrated defensive perimeters, causing impacts at 21 distinct locations, with intercepted debris falling at five additional sites.
President Zelenskyy warned that the integration of North Korean armaments and the potential deployment of additional North Korean troops posed an expanding security threat extending toward Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines, while issuing fresh appeals for international air defense reinforcement.
The overnight bombardment coincided with broader European enforcement actions against international supply chains feeding the Russian military machine. The Kyiv Independent reported that Austria’s Interior Ministry announced the uncovering of an international network that used an Austrian shell company to route sanctioned European computer-controlled cutters and metalworking tools to Russian state-owned conglomerate Rostec. The components were allegedly channeled through intermediary nations including Belarus, Hong Kong, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Poland, South Korea, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates using forged end-user certificates. Austrian authorities arrested a Belarusian manager linked to the firm and seized assets, noting that deliveries to Russian arms manufacturers totaled millions of euros since the conflict escalated. Simultaneously, Canada’s Foreign Ministry announced new sanctions targeting Russian defense manufacturer Streit Group to curtail its military supply capacities.
Overnight Attack Breakdown
- Zaporizhzhia: At least 6 dead, 19 wounded; industrial sites, garages, and residential buildings struck by North Korean ballistic missiles and aerial bombs.
- Kyiv: Ballistic missile impacts near a children’s hospital in Shevchenkivskyi district damaged windows and a gas pipe; separate warehouse fire covered 1,200 square meters with one injury reported.
- Air Defense Activity: Ukraine’s Air Force reported 120 total drones launched; 98 unmanned aerial vehicles were intercepted or suppressed, while 22 drones and multiple missiles penetrated defenses across 21 locations.
- Kherson: Critical infrastructure strikes disrupted electricity and water supplies across the Central, Dnipro, and Korabel districts.
Emergency response and repair crews remain active at impacted sites across Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, and Kherson as authorities assess structural damage and restore municipal services. Further international diplomatic responses and defense package announcements are expected as allied intelligence agencies continue investigating sanctions evasion networks.
