Zelenskyy says Russia used North Korean missiles in deadly strike on Zaporizhzhia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has again accused Russia of using North Korean missiles, asserting that Pyongyang plans to send more troops and weapons to assist Russia's war against Ukraine. On Monday, Zelenskyy stated that Russia had employed North Korean ballistic missiles in an attack on the city of Zaporizhzhia, resulting in at least six deaths and 19 injuries.

He emphasized that Russia would now require reinforcement from North Korea for its ongoing war efforts. Zelenskyy warned that an increase in North Korean strikes in Ukraine and Europe would heighten the danger for neighboring countries such as Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and others in the region. In July, Zelenskyy claimed Russia had asked for an additional 30,000 troops from North Korea, later stating that Pyongyang intended to send up to 50,000.

Simultaneously, he stressed the importance of South Korea cooperating more closely with Ukraine, urging it to provide support with anti-aircraft weapon systems. Since the war began, Ukraine and Russia have engaged in intense air strikes and bombings. Zelenskyy described a Ukrainian air strike on a Russian oil refinery in western Siberia as a "very significant achievement," pledging more deep strikes to demonstrate the necessity of peace.

In the past months, Ukraine has broadened its targeting of Russian sites, including major distribution centers of Russia's largest online retailer, Wildberries, and a logistics warehouse in the Russian republic of Voronezh. Ukraine's heavy-handed actions have claimed lives, such as the killing of 13 people, including a child, in a Ukrainian drone attack in Tatarstan.

Russian forces have retaliated by launching missile and drone attacks across Ukraine. In the Zaporizhzhia region, where Zelenskyy claimed North Korean missiles were used, images of burned vehicles and buildings were posted on social media. Kyiv also faced an air strike, injuring one person, amid multiple warnings. Ukrainian officials reported 120 drones and various missiles launched by Russia, but for the first time, they did not disclose the exact number of missiles launched or intercepted.