Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has claimed that North Korean missiles were used by Russia during overnight air strikes in his country, which also targeted the capital Kiev.
In a statement on X following a coordination call with officials, Zelenskyy said on Saturday that technical assessments are ongoing at sites hit by Russian ballistic missiles during overnight attacks.
“According to preliminary findings, at one of the key energy facilities that was damaged, the Russians used KN-23 missiles manufactured and supplied by North Korea,” Zelenskyy said, describing the issue as “further proof that global sanctions regimes need to be significantly strengthened.”
Zelenskyy claimed that Russia used 36 missiles during the overnight strikes, adding that only four of those missiles were intercepted and that Ukraine continues to face a significant shortage of interceptors for Patriot systems.
In this context, Zelenskyy said the US is “in the best position” to help address the issue and that Kiev is looking for ways to speed up deliveries and convey the necessary messages to Washington so Ukraine receives the necessary means to protect its people.
Pressure on negotiations
Zelenskyy accused Russia of “additionally laying the groundwork” for putting pressure on Ukraine and its partners’ negotiating positions, as both countries prepare to take part in a new round of US-mediated trilateral talks in the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi, starting Tuesday.
“This is especially important right now, not just ahead of winter, but also ahead of another joint effort with our partners to reinvigorate negotiations."
“We hope that the United States, like our other partners, will act on principle,” he went on to say, noting that he instructed Ukrainian Interior Minister Ivan Vyhivskyi, together with local authorities, to prepare backup transport routes and additional transport for Kiev, where he said such contingency plans are “practically nonexistent at the city level.”
He said that Ukraine is counting on new contributions from European countries to the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List initiative, adding that there will also be new energy support packages for Ukraine, as well as new deliveries to support the country’s logistics.
Earlier Saturday, Ukraine’s Air Force claimed that its air defences shot down 149 out of 172 drones and four ballistic missiles during Russia’s overnight attacks, which it said were mainly directed toward the Kiev region.
The Russian defence ministry confirmed launching a “massive” strike on Kiev overnight, saying it hit military-industrial, energy and transportation infrastructure facilities in the Ukrainian capital, including the Pivnichnyi Bridge.
It claimed that the infrastructure targeted by Russia was utilised by Kiev to “support the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”
The overnight attack came a day after Zelenskyy said his country had intelligence that Russia planned to target Ukraine’s energy sector, as well as bridges across the Dnieper River and civilian infrastructure.
Neither Russian nor North Korean officials have yet commented on Zelenskyy’s claim, and independent verification remains difficult due to the ongoing war.
