---
title: "New escalation: Russia likely used North Korean missiles against Ukraine again"
description: "Russia likely used North Korean KN-23 or KN-24 missiles against Ukraine again. A strike on a village near Kryvyi Rih resulted in the death of a family and indicated that Moscow has received new weapon supplies. Zelenskyy urged the world to pay attention to the victims of the attacks."
date: 2026-07-30T23:12:19.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/russia-likely-used-north-korean-missiles-against-ukraine-again
tags: [ukraine, russia, north-korea, vladimir-zevensky, missiles]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# New escalation: Russia likely used North Korean missiles against Ukraine again

![Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un with flags of Russia and North Korea, illustrating cooperation in the context of North Korean missile use](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/30/rossiya-primenila-severokoreyskie-rakety-po-ukraine/rossiya-primenila-severokoreyskie-rakety-po-ukraine-1.webp)

The situation on the front lines is intensifying: intelligence data and eyewitness accounts indicate that Russia has resumed the use of North Korean-made ballistic missiles to strike Ukrainian territory. This event, occurring nearly a year after previous similar incidents, signals a potential shift in Moscow's tactics and the arrival of new arms shipments from North Korea.

### Strike on Kryvyi Rih and civilian casualties

The key event prompting these alarming conclusions was a strike on the village of Radushne near Kryvyi Rih. As a result of the attack, which took place on the night of July 30, an entire family was killed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the enemy used a ballistic missile of North Korean origin. The head of state published photos of the victims, calling on the international community and the Pentagon leadership to pay attention to the consequences of these strikes.

The attack was part of a large-scale combined operation, during which Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro, and other regions came under fire. However, it was the use of specific weaponry in the Kryvyi Rih district that caused the most resonance among military analysts.

### Technical details and weapon identification

According to sources from Reuters, Ukrainian radars detected two distinct tracks during flight that correspond to the trajectories of KN-23 or KN-24 short-range ballistic missiles. These models are produced in North Korea and were previously used by Russia at the end of 2023.

Although investigators will be able to make final conclusions only after a detailed examination of the debris found at the crash site, experts are already expressing confidence regarding the origin of the weaponry. Military sources note that North Korean missiles possess several advantages over Russian analogues: they have a greater range and are equipped with a more powerful warhead compared to the Iskander complex.

### Consequences for the air defense system and new supplies

The resumption of the use of such weaponry indicates that Moscow has likely received a new batch of missiles from North Korea and is preparing for more intense missile attacks. This creates a critical load on the Ukrainian air defense system.

Agency interlocutors emphasize that intercepting such targets is an extremely difficult task. American Patriot surface-to-air missile systems are primarily capable of effectively countering ballistic missiles of this class. The increase in such threats requires a revision of defense strategies and strengthened support from Western partners.