Russia is again using North Korea's Iskander-like missile to strike Ukraine after a long pause

Russia is once again utilizing North Korean ballistic missiles to target Ukraine, following a period of inactivity. The Ukrainian Air Force confirmed that the KN-23 missile, a North Korean variant of Russia's Iskander, was employed in two recent strikes during July. This marks the first time this year that Ukraine has witnessed the use of KN-23 missiles against its territory.

Previously, the last recorded use of these missiles was in December 2025. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asserted on Monday that Russia had acquired additional ballistic missiles from North Korea. The KN-23 missile, according to Ukrainian officials, is essentially a North Korean reproduction of the Russian Iskander, albeit with a slightly larger warhead.

Col. Yurii Ihnat, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, suggested that Russia might have withheld certain technical details from North Korea during the transfer of this technology. This practice is common when sharing sensitive military equipment to prevent the creation of an exact replica.

The KN-23 missile that struck Kryvyi Rih on July 30 deviated by approximately 15 kilometers, resulting in the death of an entire family. Lieutenant General Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy head of Ukraine's military intelligence, revealed this information to local media post-attack. The exact number of KN-23 missiles North Korea provided to Russia remains unclear.

According to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War, Russia is likely deploying a limited number of KN-23s in nightly strike packages to test the missiles and enhance their precision. This strategic move allows Russia to intensify missile attacks without exhausting its existing stockpiles of other weapons.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized on Monday that Russia could not wage war without North Korean support and reinforcements. He further stated that the more missile strikes there are in Ukraine, the more North Korea can improve its capabilities, potentially posing a greater threat to US allies in the Pacific region.

Neither Russia's defense ministry nor its US embassy provided any comment on the Ukrainian assessments. Despite Russia ramping up its ballistic missile attacks against Ukraine this year, launching nearly 200 of these weapons in July alone, primarily targeting Kyiv, Ukraine's primary defense against these missiles is the Patriot air defense system provided by the US. However, Kyiv has been struggling with depleted interceptor stocks, making it challenging to counter Russia's attacks effectively.

Ukrainian officials have been urging partner nations to supply more Patriot interceptors, which are in high demand worldwide. Additionally, Kyiv is working on developing a pan-European air defense system to counter Russian ballistic missiles at a lower cost compared to the Patriot system.