Russia is lobbing North Korean made ballistic missiles at Ukraine from positions just north of the Russia-Ukraine border.
The missile attacks, suspected to involve KN-23 solid-fuel rockets, appear to have caused significant damage. There are reports suggesting that Russia’s new North Korean missiles targeted Ukrainian army logistics bases, resulting in the destruction of up to 10 valuable tanker trucks.
The acquisition of KN-23s by Russia, characterized by 7,500-pound solid-fuel rockets with 1,100-pound warheads, represents a significant escalation in Russia’s 23-month-long war on Ukraine. Notably, Ukraine may face challenges responding with similar weapons due to international sanctions preventing North Korea from exporting its domestically produced rockets. However, both the Russian and North Korean regimes seem confident in flouting sanctions to widen the conflict without anticipating a serious response from Ukraine and its allies. Russia is lobbing North
According to U.S. national-security spokesperson John Kirby, Pyongyang provided Moscow’s forces with rockets and launchers. The KN-23, typically launched from a wheeled transport-erector-launcher, has a range of approximately 400 miles and is designed to strike within 35 yards of its target.
While the KN-23 is not considered a super-weapon and shares similarities with Russia’s Iskander ballistic missile, Ukraine’s defense capabilities are limited. The country possesses only three Patriot batteries, presumably located in Kyiv, Odesa, and Kharkiv. Consequently, other cities remain vulnerable to ballistic missile attacks. According to Kirby, Russia targeted its initial KN-23 attacks at Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine, a city lacking Patriot coverage.