Did Russia Fire North Korean Missiles At Ukraine?

January 08, 2024 12:13 CET

ByRFE/RL

Remains of a missile that Ukraine suggests was supplied to Russia by North Korea were shown to journalists after recent strikes on Kharkiv.

U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters at the White House on January 4 that recently declassified intelligence found that North Korea has provided Russia with ballistic missile launchers and several ballistic missiles. A Ukrainian presidential adviser agreed with that assessment.

Dmytro Chubenko from Kharkiv's prosecutor's office kneels alongside a fragment of a ballistic missile that Ukraine believes was built in North Korea, supplied to Russia, and launched into Ukraine. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak on January 5 joined the United States in saying that Russia has hit Ukraine with missiles supplied by North Korea for the first time since launching its full-scale invasion. Russia "is attacking Ukrainians with missiles received from a state where citizens are tortured in concentration camps for having an unregistered radio, talking to a tourist, watching TV shows," Podolyak said on X, formerly Twitter. — 1Dmytro Chubenko from Kharkiv's prosecutor's office kneels alongside a fragment of a ballistic missile that Ukraine believes was built in North Korea, supplied to Russia, and launched into Ukraine.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak on January 5 joined the United States in saying that Russia has hit Ukraine with missiles supplied by North Korea for the first time since launching its full-scale invasion.

Russia "is attacking Ukrainians with missiles received from a state where citizens are tortured in concentration camps for having an unregistered radio, talking to a tourist, watching TV shows," Podolyak said on X, formerly Twitter.

On January 6, journalists in Kharkiv were shown missile wreckage that Ukrainian officials say is distinct from Russian-made missiles. "The production method is not very modern," Chubenko said of the missile wreckage. "There are deviations from standard [Russian-produced] Iskander missiles, which we previously saw during strikes on Kharkiv. That is why we are leaning toward the version that this may be a missile which was supplied by North Korea." — 2On January 6, journalists in Kharkiv were shown missile wreckage that Ukrainian officials say is distinct from Russian-made missiles.

"The production method is not very modern," Chubenko said of the missile wreckage. "There are deviations from standard [Russian-produced] Iskander missiles, which we previously saw during strikes on Kharkiv. That is why we are leaning toward the version that this may be a missile which was supplied by North Korea."

Kharkiv regional Governor Oleh Synehubov said on January 5 that Russia had hit the eastern Ukrainian region with non-Russian made missiles. "We are conducting all the necessary examinations. I will say for now that the markings have been erased from these missiles, but what we can see [is that] the country which produced it is not the Russian Federation," Synehubov was quoted as saying. — 3Kharkiv regional Governor Oleh Synehubov said on January 5 that Russia had hit the eastern Ukrainian region with non-Russian made missiles.

"We are conducting all the necessary examinations. I will say for now that the markings have been erased from these missiles, but what we can see [is that] the country which produced it is not the Russian Federation," Synehubov was quoted as saying.

4On January 2, Kharkiv was hit with a series of missile strikes, including on this building in the center of the eastern Ukrainian city that killed two people and caused widespread damage.

A file photo of a KN-23 solid-fueled tactical ballistic missile being launched during a drill in North Korea.  Ukraine has not specified which North Korean missiles they believe have been used by Russia, but analysts have pointed to the KN-23, which looks outwardly almost identical to the Russian Iskander and/or the KN-24, an apparent copy of the U.S.-made ATACMS. — 5A file photo of a KN-23 solid-fueled tactical ballistic missile being launched during a drill in North Korea.

Ukraine has not specified which North Korean missiles they believe have been used by Russia, butanalysts have pointed to theKN-23, which looks outwardly almost identical to the Russian Iskander and/or theKN-24, an apparent copy of the U.S.-made ATACMS.

6Chubenko points to script from a fragment of missile that does not appear to be either in Cyrillic or Latin script.

A firefighter douses the smoldering remains of a missile after the January 2 strikes on Kharkiv. On January 4, U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, citing recently declassified intelligence, said Russia had used unidentified North Korean ballistic missiles in two separate strikes on Ukraine, calling it a "significant and concerning escalation." Kyiv at the time said they had no evidence for such a claim.  Kirby also said Russia is seeking close-range ballistic missiles from Iran. — 7A firefighter douses the smoldering remains of a missile after the January 2 strikes on Kharkiv.

On January 4, U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, citing recently declassified intelligence, **said Russia had used unidentified North Korean ballistic missiles** in two separate strikes on Ukraine, calling it a "significant and concerning escalation." Kyiv at the time said they had no evidence for such a claim.

Kirby also said Russia is seeking close-range ballistic missiles from Iran.

A fragment of the missile that reportedly struck Kharkiv.  If the North Korean lineage of the missiles fired at Ukraine is correct, analysts say it will significantly escalate military tensions in Asia. — 8A fragment of the missile that reportedly struck Kharkiv.

If the North Korean lineage of the missiles fired at Ukraine is correct,**analysts say** it will significantly escalate military tensions in Asia.

Ukrainian investigators at the bottom of an explosion crater in Kharkiv on January 2.  Firing weapons during war provides operational intelligence -- including on how well a missile can evade enemy air defenses -- that is not achievable during normal testing. — 9Ukrainian investigators at the bottom of an explosion crater in Kharkiv on January 2.

Firing weapons during war provides operational intelligence -- including on how well a missile can evade enemy air defenses -- that is not achievable during normal testing.

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