Russia has already used 24 North Korean-made ballistic missiles to fire at Ukraine - Kostin
Russia has used at least 24 North Korean-made ballistic missiles in its shelling of Ukraine.
This was stated by Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin, Censor.NET reports with reference to Interfax-Ukraine.
"During the period from December 30, 2023 to February 7, 2024, the enemy launched at least 12 attacks on seven regions of Ukraine with this type of missile. We are talking about Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv (three attacks), Kharkiv (two attacks), and towns and villages in Kirovohrad, Poltava, Donetsk, and Dnipro regions. These attacks killed 14 civilians and injured more than 70 others," Kostin said.
According to the Prosecutor General, the most massive missile attack with this type of missile was documented on February 7, 2024. "Three cities were attacked: Kyiv (with one missile), Pavlohrad and Kharkiv (with two missiles in each city). In all these cases, no hits on possible targets were recorded," Kostin emphasized.
He added that the strike that caused the most civilian casualties occurred on January 2, 2024, in Kharkiv: three people were killed and 64 injured as a result of shelling of the city center.
The information about the origin of the missiles is confirmed by the findings of the Central Armament Research Institute of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Interagency Working Group of the Prosecutor General's Office, which analyzed in detail the places where the missiles hit and their debris.
"These missiles have different marking numbers and symbols on them that may indicate their Korean origin. Also, the nature and extent of the damage (size of the crater, impact), and the peculiarity of the flight path were different. That is, these missiles have a larger diameter than similar models of Russian and Soviet origin," the Prosecutor General said.
Kostin said that, according to preliminary analysis, such missiles contain high explosive warheads with a capacity of 500-1000 kg of TNT equivalent. It is also possible to use a combined warhead. The maximum range of the missiles is up to 650 km.
"According to preliminary data, the strikes were carried out from the territory of the Voronezh region in Russia," the Prosecutor General said.
He also noted that the accuracy of these missiles raises questions. "Out of 24 missiles fired, we know of two relatively accurate hits: The Kremenchuk oil refinery and the technical territory of the Kanatove airfield. The rest of the missiles hit at a considerable distance from each other - up to several kilometers or more - either exploded in the air or hit residential areas in Kharkiv," Kostin said.
