Ukraine: Some 50% of Russian-launched North Korean missiles went off-course and blew up mid-air

Facing a shortage of domestic ammunition and restricted global market access, Russia has sought North Korea’s assistance for its war in Ukraine, reciprocating by helping Pyongyang unfreeze international assets and supplying oil products. Although North Korean missiles constitute only a small fraction of Russia’s strikes, their use has alarmed international observers, potentially ending nearly two decades of UN Security Council consensus aimed at preventing Pyongyang from expanding its nuclear and missile programs.

• In a January attack on Kyiv, Russia targeted the city with at least one North Korean ballistic missile, believed to be either a KN-23 or KN-24 model. The debris was found after the missile was intercepted.

• On 7 February, according to Kharkiv regional police, Russia used two North Korean missiles in a total barrage of five missiles to strike the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.

• According to a report by Ukraine’s Air Forces, among the six ballistic missiles Russia launched against Ukraine on the morning of 15 February, one might have been a Korean KN-23 missile.

• In March, South Korea reported that North Korea has sent approximately 7,000 shipping containers filled with munitions and military equipment to Russia since last year. Various sources confirmed that the D​PRK is supplying artillery shells to Russia en masse.