Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said preliminary evidence indicates Russia used a North Korean ballistic missile to destroy a family home near Kryvyi Rih, killing five people during Moscow's latest mass attack on Ukraine.
The strike flattened the home of the Voronov family in the village of Radushne. Parents Olena and Artem Voronov were killed along with three of their children – Mark, Azarii Ilai, and Emilia.
The fate of Zakharii, Dominika, Federika, Viorika, and 18-month-old Artem, the family's grandson, remained unclear as rescuers searched the rubble and forensic experts examined recovered remains to determine which family members had been found.
Preliminary evidence points to North Korean missile
"Russia used a North Korean missile in Radushne for the first time in a long while – these are the preliminary findings," Zelenskyy said in his evening address.
"Of course, there will still be expert examinations and everything will be verified, but as of now, it appears to have been North Korean ballistic weaponry."
He condemned what he called the alliance between Moscow and Pyongyang, saying Russia relies on North Korean missiles and troops "to kill our Ukrainian children."
Reuters, citing two sources familiar with the matter, also reported that Russia likely used a North Korean KN-23 or KN-24 short-range ballistic missile in the attack. One military source told the news agency that Ukrainian radar detected flight paths characteristic of the missiles, though investigators must still examine recovered fragments before reaching a definitive conclusion.
According to Reuters, it would be the first confirmed use of a North Korean missile against Ukraine in nearly a year and could indicate Russia has received a new shipment of such weapons.
Zelenskyy urges partners to send more interceptors
Zelenskyy said international condemnation of the attack and concern over a Russian cruise missile that crossed into Poland during the same overnight barrage were not enough.
"The most important thing is not just condolences and not just condemnation, but air defense missiles and the kind of pressure on Russia that can stop this senseless Russian war, its strikes, and its terror," he said.
He called air defense interceptors, particularly for Patriot systems, Ukraine's highest priority, while also requesting additional missiles for NASAMS, IRIS-T, HAWK, and other Western-supplied systems.
"I very much hope that all our partners, especially our American partners and our friends in Europe, understand that real human lives depend on whether they help us – whether they help Ukraine," Zelenskyy said.
Russia expands ballistic missile campaign
The strike on the Voronov family came during one of Russia's largest recent aerial assaults, in which Moscow launched 74 missiles and 265 drones across Ukraine. The barrage killed at least nine civilians and injured dozens more.
Two children pulled from the rubble alive, three did not survive—one village near Kryvyi Rih after the Russian missile attack
Russia has increasingly relied on ballistic missiles, which are far more difficult to intercept than cruise missiles and can currently be shot down only by US-made Patriot systems.
During the same overnight attack, a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile flew roughly 95 kilometers into Poland before crashing in a field, prompting Warsaw to scramble an F-16 fighter jet and renewing concerns about the risk posed to NATO territory.
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