Seven individuals lost their lives at a Ukrainian steel factory on Tuesday in Zaporizhzhia following a Russian assault, during which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alleged the use of North Korean ballistic missiles by Moscow. The Zaporizhstal plant ceased operations after being struck, with Russia employing Zircon hypersonic missiles, guided aerial bombs, and ballistic missiles from Pyongyang in the onslaught on Zaporizhzhia.
Metinvest Group, the parent company, stated that the ballistic missile strike occurred as employees were seeking shelter after an air-raid warning, resulting in seven fatalities and 24 injuries. Production at the plant came to a standstill due to the attack, while other affected sites were operating at reduced capacity.
The Russian Defence Ministry reported that Russian forces targeted a metallurgical plant in Zaporizhzhia that manufactures flat-rolled steel used by the Ukrainian military. Additionally, Russian forces struck the Nova Poshta sorting complex in Kyiv, which is allegedly involved in distributing dual-use goods, including drone components and electronic warfare equipment.
Ukraine continued its drone strikes, resulting in six casualties in the Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions overnight, along with fires in Kyiv due to Russian attacks. This came after a Ukrainian drone strike in Nizhnekamsk, Russia, which reportedly caused a significant civilian toll. Another drone attack in Russia’s Voronezh region caused one fatality, two injuries, and fires at warehouse facilities.
Furthermore, North Korean ballistic missiles have been fired by Russia at Ukraine since late 2023, with Zelenskyy revealing plans for North Korean troops to be deployed in Russia for combat. The military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang has expanded significantly, with North Korea sending soldiers to Russia previously in response to Ukrainian actions in the Kursk Region.
Russia has been supplied by North Korea with various weapons, including artillery rounds, ballistic missiles, and long-range artillery, according to Ukrainian and independent evaluations. Additionally, Russia has utilized Shahed attack drones, known as Geran, with enhanced features like jet engines for incursions into Ukraine. In contrast, Ukraine has leveraged missile support from allies such as the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and France.