Zelensky: North Korea's KN-23 missile was used to attack Ukrainian energy facilities
Complaints about the lack of Patriot air defense systems and caution over previous negotiations based on the 'Yalta 2.0' approach
Quick Look
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that North Korean-made KN-23 missiles were used in airstrikes on Russian energy facilities.
- They also complained about the lack of the Patriot air defense system and expressed strong resistance to 'Yalta 2.0', a division-type war ending negotiation led by Russia.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
As the war between Russia and Ukraine continues, Russia is stepping up airstrikes targeting Ukrainian energy facilities. Since the inauguration of the Trump U.S. administration, discussions on the end-of-war negotiations appear to be taking shape.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed on the 7th (local time) that North Korea's KN-23 (Hwasong-11) missile was used in a Russian airstrike targeting his country's energy facilities overnight.
On this day, President Zelensky wrote on
He claimed, “This is further evidence that the international sanctions regime must be significantly strengthened against all those around the world who provide ‘services’ in destroying life.”
President Zelenskyy, who presided over a coordination meeting of related agencies regarding the situation and damage recovery efforts following the Russian attack, repeatedly complained about the lack of interceptor missiles for the Patriot air defense system, saying that only four of the 36 Russian missiles launched overnight were shot down.
He claimed that Russia is trying to put pressure on Ukraine and its allies by stepping up attacks on Ukraine and its infrastructure ahead of trilateral negotiations with Ukraine and the United States next week.
President Zelensky also expressed concern about the recent discussion on 'security infrastructure (system) encompassing Europe and Russia', which is known to be raised by some in the US administration of Donald Trump, saying, "It is not simple and could be dangerous."
“It is dangerous for Russia to try to discuss a new security system in Europe,” he said in a CNN interview quoted by X. “We do not want a ‘Yalta 2.0.’ We do not want to be divided by Russia.”
The 'Yalta' mentioned by Zelensky is interpreted as a reference to the Yalta Conference, where the leaders of the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union met ahead of the end of World War II to discuss the post-war order.
Previously, after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy Kirill Dmitriev at the White House on the 5th, President Trump said that the Russia-Ukraine war would soon end and that there could be a broad agreement that would cover all of Europe beyond Ukraine.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Trilateral negotiations held between Ukraine, the United States and Russia
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What is the actual supply route and scale of KN-23 missiles?
- What is the Trump administration's specific end-of-war negotiation plan?
