North Korean KN-23 missiles: Russia's new weapon in war against Ukraine
Photo: Russia hits Ukraine with North Korean KN-23 missiles (from open sources)
Russia used four KN-23 ballistic missiles against Ukraine on Sunday, August 11. These are North Korean-made missiles.
RBC-Ukraine gathered information on what is known about KN-23 missiles from North Korea, which the Russian troops are using to bomb Ukraine.
Content
- When Russia used KN-23
- Characteristics of the missile from North Korea
- KN-23 missiles do not reach their targets
When Russia used KN-23
It should be noted that information about North Korea transferring ballistic missiles to Russia emerged at the beginning of 2024. Initially, Western media reported this, and later it was confirmed by the United States.
The first official use of North Korean missiles by Russia was also confirmed at the beginning of the year. The occupiers struck Kharkiv with a missile, and law enforcement officers found the remnants.
In May, the Prosecutor General's Office reported that Russia had launched about 50 North Korean missiles at Ukraine. KN-23 remnants were found in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast, as well as in Donetsk, Kirovohrad, Poltava, and Kharkiv Oblasts. However, in the spring and summer, the Russians somewhat paused the use of these missiles.
In August, the occupiers have already fired North Korean-made missiles at Ukraine at least twice. This occurred on August 6 and 11 during an attack on Kyiv. In particular, today, according to the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Russians launched four ballistic missiles from the Voronezh region.
In the Brovary district of Kyiv region, missile fragments fell on private houses. As a result of the Russian attack, a 35-year-old man and his 4-year-old son were killed. Three people were injured.
The Commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Mykola Oleshchuk, commented on the use of North Korean missiles by the Russians: "Regarding Russian strikes with North Korean missiles, I would say the following: KN-23 ballistic missiles, although rarely hitting their intended targets, pose a serious threat to the population."
Characteristics of the missile from North Korea
It is known that the missile is similar to the Russian ballistic missile launched from the Iskander-M operational-tactical complex. The missile warhead can be unitary, cluster, or nuclear.
Photo from open sources
Technical features:
- Length: 7.5 meters
- Diameter: 0.95 meters
- Weight: 3,415 tons
- Flight range: 690 kilometers
It was reported that after launch, the North Korean KN-23 missiles could reach an altitude of up to 50 kilometers.
KN-23 missiles do not reach their targets
Earlier, analysts and Ukrainian military personnel reported that North Korean missiles are quite inaccurate, making them even more dangerous.
The specialized publication Defense Express noted that during a massive strike on July 31, Russia again hit with a KN-23 missile after a pause. According to the publication, the missile was flying in the direction of Bila Tserkva, but it fell on the territory of Kyiv Oblast, possibly after an explosion in the air.
Fragments were found at the crash site, confirming that it was indeed a North Korean-made missile.
Photo: North Korean missile debris (defence-ua.com)
A similar incident also occurred on August 6 when Russia attacked Kyiv. It was reported that one of the KN-23 missiles fell on the outskirts of Brovary, specifically in a forest near the road.
In fact, the North Korean missile fell about 20 km short of the capital.
Sources: Telegram channels of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Emergency Service, publications of the specialized publication Defense Express, data from Wikipedia.
