Russian military fired 36 ballistic missiles at Ukraine, North Korean-made KN-23 appears again

Russia continues to use ballistic missiles made by North Korea to attack Ukraine! Ukrainian President Zelensky said that the Russian army launched a large-scale air strike on Kiev and surrounding areas on the night of the 7th, launching 36 ballistic missiles and 172 drones, some of which were North Korean-made KN-23 short-range ballistic missiles. The Ukrainian army only successfully intercepted 4 ballistic missiles, and important energy facilities were damaged, once again highlighting the huge pressure faced by Ukraine's air defense system.

The foreign military news website "Defense Blog" reported that according to preliminary information released by Zelensky, this wave of Russian attacks targeted Kiev and surrounding areas, hitting the substation facilities connecting the two nuclear power plants in Rovno and Khmelnytsky with Kiev and central Ukraine. Substations in Vinnitsa, Zhitomir, Kharkiv and other places were also affected. At least 6 people in Kiev Oblast were injured, including 1 child, and some buildings in the kindergarten were destroyed. Kyiv Mayor Klitschko said that the capital's energy supply situation is extremely serious, and the heating and water supply systems have been affected.

The report stated that it is worth noting that Russia once again used the KN-23 ballistic missile made by North Korea this time. This short-range ballistic missile, also known as the "Hwasong-11A", uses solid fuel and can be launched from a mobile launch vehicle. Its flight trajectory is relatively low and has the ability to maneuver its orbit, making it more difficult for the air defense system to track and intercept.

The Russian army began using KN-23 to attack Ukraine in early 2024. There were reports of poor hit accuracy in the early days, but Ukrainian officials later pointed out that its accuracy has gradually improved, speculating that North Korea may improve the missile's performance based on actual combat data.

Zelensky admitted that Ukraine still has a serious shortage of U.S.-made "Patriot" air defense system interceptors and called on the United States and its allies to speed up supply to cope with the threat of continued attacks on energy facilities in winter. He also believed that this wave of Russian air strikes may be intended to put pressure on Ukraine before the tripartite talks in Abu Dhabi, and called on the international community to strengthen sanctions on countries that provide Russian weapons and military support.