--- title: "North Korean missiles over Ukraine: Yuriy Ignat on Russia's new tactics and the air defense shortage" description: "Yuriy Ignat, Head of the Communications Department of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, confirmed Russia's use of North Korean KN-23 missiles against Ukraine. ๐Ÿš€ The enemy is using a mixed tactic due to a lack of supplies, exploiting the shortage of interception means in the air defense. On the night of July 30, 9 ballistic missiles were fired, one of which fell in Poland. ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ" date: 2026-07-30T11:46:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/yuriy-ignat-on-russia-using-north-korean-missiles-against-ukraine tags: [yuriy-ignat, ukraine, russia, kn-23, air-force] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # North Korean missiles over Ukraine: Yuriy Ignat on Russia's new tactics and the air defense shortage ![Yuriy Ignat, Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, against a backdrop of fighter jets and North Korean missiles โ€” discussing Russiaโ€™s new tactics and air defense shortages](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/30/yuriy-ignat-o-primenenii-severokoreyskih-raket-rossiyey-po-ukraine/yuriy-ignat-o-primenenii-severokoreyskih-raket-rossiyey-po-ukraine-1.webp) Nightly reports from Ukrainian intelligence and the Air Force have brought alarming confirmation: Russia has begun using North Korean-made KN-23 ballistic missiles in attacks on Ukraine. This was stated by Yuriy Ignat, Head of the Communications Department of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, commenting on the massive strikes carried out on the night of July 30. ### New arsenal: from "Tsirkon" to KN-23 According to Ignat, the Russian side has changed its tactics by starting to "mix" different types of weapons. The aggressor's arsenal now includes not only the familiar "Iskander-M" missiles, but also anti-ship missiles "Oniks" and "Tsirkon" flying on a ballistic trajectory. Ukrainian specialists are paying special attention to the appearance of North Korean KN-23 missiles in the reports. "Even North Korean missiles have now appeared in the reports, because our forces and intelligence do not rule out the possibility of using precisely this modification... which has not been featured in our reports for a long time, but has reappeared today," Ignat noted. ### Strategy of "dilution" and depletion of stocks Experts from the Armed Forces of Ukraine link this variety of ammunition used to the depletion of Russian stocks. Moscow is forced to combine different types of missiles to maintain the intensity of strikes. In particular, the enemy has begun using S-400 surface-to-air missiles, designed to engage aerial targets, for strikes against ground objects. "The enemy is "diluting" the classic "Iskander-M" ballistics with S-400 missiles. This is a surface-to-air missile... but the Russians are using it for strikes against the ground," explained the Head of the Communications Department. ### The interception problem The key problem on which the Russian command is betting is the current shortage of missiles in Ukraine for intercepting ballistic targets. The enemy is counting on the fact that the Ukrainian air defense will not be able to effectively repel a massive strike due to a lack of countermeasures. Statistics from the night of July 30 confirm the complexity of the situation: Russia fired nine ballistic missiles of various types ("Iskander-M", S-400, or KN-23) at Ukrainian territory. The Ukrainian air defense system managed to shoot down only one of them. ### Consequences of the attack The massive attack led to serious incidents extending beyond Ukraine's borders. During the air raid, one of the Russian Kh-101 cruise missiles fell on Polish territory, which provoked a diplomatic reaction, including from the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk.