Ukraine says Russian attack used North Korean missiles on key energy site
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Russian forces launched North Korean-made KN-23 missiles at a major Ukrainian energy facility, prompting calls for faster delivery of air-defence interceptors.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces fired North Korean-manufactured KN-23 short-range ballistic missiles at a key energy facility overnight, and urged allies to speed up deliveries of interceptor missiles.
Zelenskyy noted that 36 ballistic missiles were launched toward Kyiv and its surrounding region, with four intercepted by Ukrainian air defences. Preliminary technical assessments indicated that one of the damaged facilities was hit by the KN-23, a missile with a range of about 690 km that resembles Russia's Iskander-M.
Ukraine's defence ministry has previously reported that the KN-23 is difficult for air-defence systems to counter. The missile type was first tested in May 2019 and has been used in earlier attacks on Ukraine.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the strikes targeted critical energy infrastructure as winter approaches, accusing Moscow of trying to deprive millions of electricity, heating and water.
The overnight attacks injured at least six people, including a child, and damaged a bridge and multiple substations in the Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Rivne, Kharkiv and Dnipro regions, as well as a kindergarten. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that the Pivnichnyi Bridge was hit and that the city’s heating and water supplies were severely disrupted.