Russian forces launched a series of overnight strikes across Ukraine, resulting in at least 12 deaths and dozens of injuries. Kyiv officials have accused Moscow of utilizing North Korean missiles during the bombardment, an allegation that follows President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent warnings regarding increased military support from Pyongyang, including ballistic projectiles and troop deployments.
Zelenskyy stated that Moscow is attempting to exploit Ukraine’s critical shortage of Patriot air defense interceptors, a situation he noted has worsened as U.S. diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict have stalled. “Every step Russia takes—increasing ballistic missile production, bringing in North Korean equipment, preparing for mobilisation—all of this shows that Moscow is preparing not for peace, but for escalation,” the president wrote on social media.
The city of Zaporizhzhia suffered the most significant impact, with at least six people killed and 19 wounded. Ivan Fedorov, the head of the regional military administration, released images showing widespread damage to vehicles and buildings. Zelenskyy described the barrage as a “vicious attack, calculated to inflict maximum damage specifically on civilian infrastructure,” noting that the strikes involved North Korean ballistic missiles, Zircon missiles, and guided aerial bombs.
The casualties in Zaporizhzhia included employees of the Zaporizhstal steel plant. In a statement, the company reported that “the ballistic strike caught employees on their way to shelter immediately after the air alert was announced,” adding that 21 other staff members sustained injuries.
Additional overnight strikes in the Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions resulted in six more fatalities. In Kyiv, an infectious diseases hospital was struck, while power outages were reported in the frontline cities of Kherson and Kharkiv following targeted attacks. In Mykolaiv, a 75-year-old woman was injured during a Russian drone strike.
The Russian Ministry of Defence acknowledged the overnight operations, claiming they were aimed at Ukrainian transport, logistics, and defense industry facilities in Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia.
Meanwhile, inside Russia, regional governor Alexandr Gusev reported that a Ukrainian drone attack in the Voronezh region killed one person and injured two others. The strike caused fires at warehouse facilities, with the retailer Wildberries confirming the evacuation of its local logistics site. Gusev stated that Russian air defenses intercepted 15 drones over the city of Voronezh and five surrounding districts.
The recent escalation marks a period of intensified ballistic missile activity by Russian forces, coinciding with Ukraine’s own efforts to strike deep within Russian territory. As the conflict enters its fourth year, the reliance on North Korean military hardware remains a central point of contention in the ongoing hostilities.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has already sent thousands of troops and plentiful supplies of weapons to support Putin’s four-year invasion.
