After examining debris
Ukraine sees major weakness in Russia’s North Korea missiles
May 8, 2024, 8:09 a.m
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North Korea is probably supporting Russia with massive arms deliveries. Although these only make up a small part of the Russian arsenal, they still pose a threat to Ukraine. Kiev claims to have identified a glaring weakness in ballistic missiles.
According to information from Ukraine, many of the ballistic missiles supplied by North Korea to Russia are already exploding in the air. The office of Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said the failure rate of North Korean weapons appears to be high.
Debris from 21 of the approximately 50 North Korean ballistic missiles that Russia fired between the end of December and the end of February were examined. “Approximately half of North Korea’s missiles departed from their programmed trajectories and exploded in mid-air. In such cases, the debris was not recovered,” Kostin’s office said.
Prosecutors said they identified Hwasong-11 missiles, also known as KN-23 in the West, by their trajectories, speeds and launch locations when debris at impact sites could not be recovered. The last known use of a KN-23 was on February 27, according to Kostin’s office.
Ukraine: 24 dead and 115 injured
The United States says Russia received ballistic missiles and artillery shells from North Korea following a rare summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin last September. Satellite images from October showed the delivery of ammunition.
The 21 cases in which debris was collected include 3 fired at the Ukrainian capital Kiev and the surrounding region, Kostin’s office said. The others hit the Kharkiv, Poltava, Donetsk and Kirovohrad regions.
The attacks, which began on December 30, 2023, killed 24 people, injured 115 and damaged a number of residential buildings and industrial facilities, according to Ukrainian sources. The approximately 50 rockets were fired from several locations, including Belgorod, Voronezh and Kursk in Russia’s western regions.
The Ukrainian side did not say whether any of the missiles were shot down by anti-aircraft defenses. Ballistic missiles are typically difficult to intercept due to their trajectory and speed. Kostin’s office said Ukrainian authorities are investigating whether Pyongyang sent instructors to monitor the ballistic missile launches.