Zelenskyy: North Korean Missiles Hit Kyiv; Only 4 of 36 Intercepted
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MENAFNIn a post on US social media platform X after a coordination call with officials, the Ukrainian president 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, describing the issue as “further proof that global sanctions regimes need to be significantly strengthened.”
36 missiles, 4 intercepted
Zelenskyy said Russia launched 36 missiles in the overnight barrage and only four were shot down, adding that Ukraine still faces a serious shortage of interceptors for its Patriot systems.
He said the US is “in the best position” to help resolve the shortfall, and that Kyiv is seeking ways to speed up deliveries and get the necessary messages to Washington so Ukraine can obtain the means to protect its people.
“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 Moscow of trying to “additionally lay the groundwork” for pressuring Ukraine and its partners’ negotiating positions, as both sides prepare for a new round of US-mediated trilateral talks in the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi, beginning Tuesday.
“We hope that the United States, like our other partners, will act on principle,” he went on to say, noting that he ordered Interior Minister Ivan Vyhivskyi, working with local authorities, to prepare backup transport routes and extra transport capacity for Kyiv. He said such contingency plans are “practically nonexistent at the city level.”
Europe, energy and logistics support
Zelenskyy said Ukraine expects fresh contributions from European countries to the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List initiative, along with new energy support packages and additional deliveries to bolster the country’s logistics.
Competing claims on the strike
Earlier Saturday, Ukraine’s Air Force said its air defenses downed 149 of 172 drones and four ballistic missiles during the overnight assault, which it said was aimed mainly at the Kyiv region.
Russia’s defense ministry confirmed a “massive” strike on Kyiv overnight, saying it hit military-industrial, energy and transportation facilities in the Ukrainian capital, including the Pivnichnyi Bridge. It said Kyiv used the targeted infrastructure to “support the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”
The attack followed a warning a day earlier from Zelenskyy that Ukraine had intelligence Russia planned to hit its energy sector, bridges over the Dnieper River and civilian infrastructure.
Neither Russian nor North Korean officials have commented on Zelenskyy’s claim, and independent verification remains difficult because of the ongoing war.
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