Russia's rare use of North Korean missiles marks new escalation

Russia used a North Korean KN-23 ballistic missile during an attack on Ukraine on 31 July. The missile did not reach its target. This information was conveyed by "Defence Express," which emphasizes that Russia uses this missile very rarely.

It is now certain that the Russian occupiers used a North Korean-made ballistic missile during a massive attack on Ukraine.

The launch took place from Russian territory towards Bila Tserkva, but the missile exploded in the Kyiv region. This was Russia's first recorded use of this missile in the past five months.

Earlier, it was reported that more than half of the KN-23 missiles launched by Russia lost their programmed flight path and exploded in the air, as the firing of these missiles was recorded, but their debris was not found.

It is worth recalling that in recent years, there have been several significant meetings between the leaders of North Korea and Russia. Vladimir Putin made his first visit to North Korea in 24 years, which was significant politically.

A crowd greeted him, and a parade was organized in his honour. Kim Jong Un met with Putin to discuss political and economic matters, including North Korea's support for Kremlin policies.

Vladimir Putin publicly expressed gratitude to North Korea for supporting Russian policies and for supplying weapons that are being used by the Russian military in the conflict with Ukraine.

For example, North Korean ballistic missiles were used against Ukraine, as confirmed by UN experts. Reports of mysterious mentions of "security issues" in new agreements between these countries are raising concerns in the international community.

Let us remind you that both countries are under sanctions from Western states, which forces them to create informal payment mechanisms and circumvent trade restrictions imposed by the sanctions.