Russia’s Use of a North Korean Ballistic Missile in the Radushne Strike

On July 30 a Russian missile struck a home in Radushne, near Kryvyi Rih in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the attack killed two parents and three of their children; the fate of four other children and an 18-month-old grandson remained uncertain. Radar tracks and flight characteristics pointed to a North Korean short-range ballistic missile—likely a KN-23 or KN-24.

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North Korea has become a key military partner of Russia since the 2022 invasion, supplying ammunition and artillery shells that account for a sizable share of Russia’s artillery stockpiles. The Radushne strike is the first suspected use of a North Korean missile in the war after a gap of nearly a year; the previous confirmed instance was in August 2025.

Reuters

• Russia launched 376 missiles and over 280 drones in the July 30 overnight barrage, killing at least eight people and injuring more than 50 across Ukraine.

The Straits Times

• Ukrainian air defenses intercepted roughly one-third of the ballistic missiles launched in July.

The Straits Times

• The KN-23 has a range of 450-690 km and carries a larger warhead than Russia’s Iskander missiles, though it is less accurate.

Reuters

Zelensky emphasized the missile’s origin and the humanitarian impact, urging the international community to supply air-defence systems: “Most importantly, though, is not just sympathy and not just condemnation, but missiles for air defense.” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Polish authorities had recovered a crater likely caused by a Russian Kh-101 ballistic missile and called for confirmation of the missile type. The Russian Defence Ministry and Ukrainian Air Force did not comment; the North Korean embassy in London declined to respond.

Reuters

Local media confirmed six family members dead by the evening of July 30, while identification work continued under the rubble. Additional reports noted two private homes destroyed in the broader attack and the rescue of an 84-year-old woman and two children alive.

BBC News

Death-toll figures vary: initial Ukrainian statements cited six fatalities in the Radushne home, later reports raised the total to eight, with some sources suggesting nine or ten. The exact missile type remains unverified pending forensic analysis, and the status of the surviving children and the grandson has not been confirmed.

Zelensky Claims Russia Used North Korean Missile in Attack

• “Today, the Russians destroyed an ordinary home of an ordinary family in Radushne near Kryvyi Rih in our Dnipropetrovsk region with a strike from their ballistic missile,” — Volodymyr Zelensky

BBC News

• “Of course, there will still be expert examinations, everything will be verified, but as of now, it is North Korean ballistics,” — Volodymyr Zelensky

Russia Used North Korean Missile in Radushne Strike Which Killed Family of 10

The suspected deployment of a North Korean ballistic missile adds a new source of firepower for Russia, challenging Ukraine’s strained air-defence network. Because such missiles can only be intercepted by advanced systems like U.S.–made Patriots, the strike heightens Kyiv’s plea for additional interceptors and underscores the deepening military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.

Russia Used North Korean Missile in Radushne Strike Which Killed Family of 10