North Korea uses Ukraine as a testing ground for ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, as South Koreaʼs permanent representative to the UN Hwang Joon-kook informed.
Earlier, Russia already used short-range ballistic missiles transferred by North Korea in Ukraine — in December and January. Hwang Joon-kook stressed that South Korea strongly condemns this and emphasized that "the inaction of the UN Security Council today has only encouraged and continues to encourage the Pyongyang regime." He called Russiaʼs invasion a "senseless disregard" of Ukraineʼs territorial integrity.
Russiaʼs acquisition of ballistic missiles from North Korea directly violates numerous UN security resolutions. Members of the UN Security Council have already condemned Russiaʼs use of North Korean missiles in Ukraine. The representative of the United States at the UN Robert Wood said that Russia will continue to use North Korean weapons to destroy Ukrainian infrastructure facilities and kill Ukrainians.
- On January 4, Western media wrote that Russia received a batch of ballistic missiles from North Korea (several dozen) and launchers for them. They also wrote that Moscow is close to the same agreement with Iran.
- On the same day, the US officially announced that Russia had short-range ballistic missiles from North Korea and had launched them into Ukraine — the first on December 30, 2023 (fell in Zaporizhzhia) and several others on January 2 during a massive missile attack. If we take into account the statement about short-range missiles, it is most likely about KN-23 ballistic missiles, aka Hwasong-11Ga.
- In general, it is known about the KN-23 that it is larger than the Russian "Iskander" and has a number of similar solutions, in particular in the guidance systems. The missile flies up to 690 km, if the warhead is less than 500 kg. It is also believed that the KN-23, like the 9M723 OTRK Iskander missile, is capable of maneuvering. To launch the rocket, a launcher on an 8 x 8 wheeled chassis is used. There is no information about the number of KN-23 and the pace of production of these rockets.
- On January 5, the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces did not confirm Russiaʼs use of ballistic missiles from the DPRK. The spokesman of the Air Forces Yuriy Ignat said that experts are studying the wreckage, but it will take time.