Russia using North Korean missiles to strike Ukraine, Zelensky says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of using North Korean missiles in recent strikes on Ukraine, including an attack that killed seven people and injured at least 24 in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia. The Ukrainian leader made the claim in a video address on Monday evening, stating that Russia now needs reinforcements from North Korea to wage war.

Zelensky also expressed concerns that the increased use of North Korean missiles and soldiers poses a danger to the wider world. Ukraine has previously accused Russia of receiving military assistance from North Korea, with the Ukrainian military reporting dozens of North Korean missiles fired into Ukrainian territory since the invasion in February 2022.

Zelensky alleged that as many as 50,000 North Korean soldiers could be fighting alongside Russian forces, following a previous deployment of 11,000 North Korean troops to support Moscow in Kursk in August 2024. Western officials have reported that North Korean troops suffered nearly 40% casualties in their fighting in Kursk. The attacks came a day after Ukrainian drone strikes on the Russian republic of Tatarstan killed at least 13 people, including a child.

The strikes also damaged a children's hospital in Kyiv, where air raid sirens sounded twice overnight, triggering fires.