North Korea is learning about modern warfare in Ukraine

Kyiv. On the night of 11 August, Russia bombed Zaporizhzhia, a city in south-eastern Ukraine, striking it with North Korean KN-23 ballistic missiles, Zircon anti-ship missiles and guided bombs. “A brutal attack, designed to cause massive damage to civilian infrastructure,” wrote President Volodymyr Zelensky on social media the morning after the bombardment. Six people were killed and 19 were injured. That same night, Kyiv was also struck by ballistic missiles. Although the military has not disclosed the total number of missiles fired, the official report from the Ukrainian Air Force indicates that not a single one was shot down. Ukraine has exhausted its stockpile of anti-ballistic missiles. The situation with drones is much better: out of 120 drones, air defences shot down 98. “Every step Russia takes – increasing ballistic missile production, drawing on North Korean resources, preparing for mobilisation – shows that Moscow is not preparing for peace, but for escalation,” said Zelensky.

Russia used a North Korean ballistic missile against Ukraine for the first time on 29 December 2023. That attack also targeted the Zaporizhzhia region, whilst in January 2024, Moscow had launched KN-23 missiles to strike Kharkiv. The last time these missiles struck Kyiv was in the spring of 2025. After a one-year hiatus, KN-23 missiles reappeared in Ukrainian skies in the summer of 2026. On the night of 30 July, a missile which Ukraine claimed was of North Korean origin struck the Voronov family’s home in the village of Radushne, 15 kilometres from Kryvyi Rih. At the time of the impact, there were ten people inside the building: the parents (Artem and Olena), their seven children aged between 6 and 17, and their one-and-a-half-year-old grandson. Rescue workers found five family members beneath the rubble. The missile completely destroyed the house and not all the bodies have been recovered. Five children are still missing, and forensic investigations are underway to identify their remains. 

On 31 July, Vladyslav Vlasyuk, the presidential commissioner for sanctions policy, reported that the impact crater of a second KN-23 missile had been found in the same area. The explosion took place in a field 3.5 kilometres from the Voronov family’s home. “There are no potential targets within a 5-kilometre radius,” he wrote on his Facebook page. Vlasyuk told *Il Foglio* that the KN-23 is almost identical to the Russian Iskander missile, but less accurate. “It also contains identical components, including those of Western origin,” he explained.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia has already received a new batch of 40 North Korean KN-23 and KN-24 ballistic missiles, and Moscow also plans to deploy a North Korean missile unit in the Voronezh region. The contingent will consist of around 90 military personnel and will be equipped with six launchers and 120 missiles from Pyongyang. This was stated by Andriy Chernyak, spokesperson for the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, in an interview with Reuters. “The deployment configuration and the total number of missiles will be finalised in high-level talks next month,” he explained. As Ukraine is currently facing a severe shortage of air defences, Russia is seeking to capitalise on this and is increasingly using ballistic missiles in its attacks. But Pyongyang also has its own interests, according to intelligence sources. Russia is using North Korean weapons in real combat conditions in Ukraine. This provides an opportunity to address issues and modernise the missiles. President Volodymyr Zelensky also believes that North Korea is pursuing its own objectives by closely studying the war and has warned that, whilst previously there was talk of hundreds or thousands of North Korean soldiers, Russia is now preparing to host between 30,000 and 50,000 troops, who will gain experience in modern warfare. This is dangerous not only for Kyiv, but will also increase the threats to Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and other countries in the Pacific region. Zelensky is pressing for closer cooperation between Seoul and Kyiv to strengthen Ukraine’s air defences. “We are ready to work on the drone agreement,” Zelensky said in an interview. South Korea, however, has strict constitutional restrictions on the supply of lethal weapons and defence equipment to other countries at war. “When we talk about the need to help us with air defence, we are also talking about deterring North Korea’s interest in coming here to learn how to wage war,” the president emphasised in his evening address on 10 August.

Its appeals have so far fallen on deaf ears. According to the Korea Times, despite recent reports of North Korea’s use of ballistic missiles against Ukraine and the possible deployment of troops from Pyongyang to Russia, South Korea continues to refrain from supplying lethal weapons and air defence systems to Ukraine. Seoul is prepared to provide Kyiv with humanitarian aid only.