OMM Newsroom
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday that Russia used North Korean missiles in overnight airstrikes that targeted Ukraine, including the capital, Kyiv. Anadolu Agency reported that neither Russian nor North Korean officials had commented on the claim.
In a statement on “X” after a coordination call with officials, Zelenskyy said technical assessments were under way at sites hit by Russian ballistic missiles.
“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. He described the reported use of the missiles as “further proof that global sanctions regimes need to be significantly strengthened.”
Zelenskyy says Ukraine intercepted four missiles
Zelenskyy said Russia used 36 missiles in the overnight strikes, of which Ukraine intercepted four. He added that the country continued to face a significant shortage of interceptors for “Patriot” systems.
He said the United States was “in the best position” to help address the shortage. Kyiv was seeking ways to speed up deliveries and convey to Washington what was needed to protect the population, he added.
“This is especially important right now – not just ahead of winter, but also ahead of another joint effort with our partners to reinvigorate negotiations,” Zelenskyy said.
He accused Russia of trying to “additionally lay the groundwork” to put pressure on Ukraine and its partners’ negotiating positions. The two countries are preparing to take part in a new round of US-mediated trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, starting Tuesday.
“We hope that the United States, like our other partners, will act on principle,” Zelenskyy said. He added that he had instructed Ukrainian Interior Minister Ivan Vyhivskyi to work with local authorities on backup transport routes and additional transport for Kyiv, where he said such contingency plans were “practically nonexistent at the city level.”
Ukraine reports drone and missile interceptions
Zelenskyy said Ukraine was counting on new contributions from European countries to the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List initiative. He also said new energy support packages and deliveries to help the country’s logistics were expected.
Ukraine’s Air Force said earlier Saturday that air defences had shot down 149 of 172 drones and four ballistic missiles during Russia’s overnight attacks, which it said were directed mainly at the Kyiv region.
Russia’s Defence Ministry confirmed it had launched a “massive” overnight strike on Kyiv. It said the targets included military-industrial, energy and transport infrastructure in the Ukrainian capital, including the Pivnichnyi Bridge, and claimed the infrastructure was used by Kyiv to “support the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”
The attack came a day after Zelenskyy said Ukraine had intelligence that Russia planned to target the country’s energy sector, bridges across the Dnieper River and civilian infrastructure.
Independent verification of Zelenskyy’s claim remains difficult because of the ongoing war.
