A ballistic missile that struck a residential building in Kyiv on April 24, killing at least 12 people and injuring 90 others, was made in North Korea, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement on Facebook, citing preliminary data.
The missile was part of a large-scale Russian missile and drone assault that targeted multiple Ukrainian cities overnight, according to Ukraine's State Emergency Service. Among the 90 civilians injured were six children.
"If the information that this missile was made in North Korea is confirmed, it will be further proof of the criminal nature of the alliance between Russia and Pyongyang," Zelensky said.
He condemned the deepening military ties between the two countries, accusing them of collaborating to develop and deploy deadly technology against civilians.
"They kill people and destroy lives together, this is the only purpose of their partnership," he added.
Zelensky said that more than 200 missiles and drones were launched across Ukraine as part of the April 24 assault. A Ukrainian military source told Reuters that the missile that hit the residential building in Kyiv was a North Korean-made KN-23 ballistic missile.
The KN-23, reportedly capable of carrying a one-tonne warhead, is believed to be more powerful than its Russian equivalents. A November 2024 CNN investigation previously reported that KN-23 missiles contain Western-made components.
The attack comes amid growing military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. Kyiv estimates that more than 11,000 North Korean troops have been deployed in support of Russia's war effort, primarily in Russia's Kursk Oblast.
The South Korean Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA) reported earlier this month that North Korea has earned more than $20 billion through its military support to Moscow, including weapons shipments and manpower. Between August 2023 and March 2025, North Korea reportedly sent over 15,800 containers of munitions to Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly referred to North Korea as a "partner" and confirmed that a 2024 defense treaty between the two countries is currently active. He has also floated the possibility of involving Pyongyang in future negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
