Story perspectives

Zelensky urges Patriots after Russian North Korean missile kills six

7/31/2026

Summary

Story summary

Russia fired a North Korean ballistic missile at Radushne, killing two parents and four children and flattening a house.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said preliminary data identified the weapon as a KN-23 or KN-24 missile.
Zelenskyy warned the Kremlin seeks another 30,000 North Korean troops and urged the West to supply Patriot air-defence missiles.
Ukrainian intelligence reported Russia still holds about 50 KN-23 missiles, last used on August 8 2025.

History

Historical Context

During the 1991 Gulf War Iraq fired roughly two dozen North-Korean Scud-B missiles, a transfer documented by the CIA and followed by UN sanctions on Pyongyang’s arms trade. Decades later, Russian forces have employed KN-23 missiles traced to North Korean factories, prompting President Zelenskyy to seek NATO Patriot batteries. The pattern shows how early missile exports continue to shape current security calculations.

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Story summary

Russia fired a North Korean ballistic missile at Radushne, killing two parents and four children and flattening a house.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said preliminary data identified the weapon as a KN-23 or KN-24 missile.
Zelenskyy warned the Kremlin seeks another 30,000 North Korean troops and urged the West to supply Patriot air-defence missiles.
Ukrainian intelligence reported Russia still holds about 50 KN-23 missiles, last used on August 8 2025.

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