Zelensky: Russia used North Korean missiles in strikes on Zaporizhzhia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia used North Korean-made ballistic missiles in recent strikes on Zaporizhzhia that killed seven people and wounded 24, according to the British broadcaster BBC.

In his evening address on August 10, Zelensky said that for the first time Russia is unable to continue the war without North Korea's support. He noted that the more North Korean missiles Russia uses in its strikes and the more North Korean soldiers are sent to fight, the more Russia is able to compensate for its shortcomings — a development he said poses a threat to the rest of the world as well.

This is not the first time Ukrainian and Western officials have accused Russia of receiving military assistance from North Korea. Ukraine's military has previously reported that dozens of North Korean missiles have been used against Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.

Additional troops and losses

Over the weekend, Zelensky warned that Russia's army had been reinforced by around 50,000 North Korean soldiers. Western officials told the BBC in January this year that North Korean units had lost 40% of their personnel on the battlefield within three months.

Strikes inside Russia

On August 10, Zelensky described a Ukrainian strike on an oil chemical plant in western Siberia as a highly significant achievement, pledging that Ukraine would continue strikes deep inside Russia to convince Russia and Russians of the need to agree to peace.

Meanwhile, in the Russian city of Voronezh, Ukraine struck warehouses belonging to Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer. The company has not officially confirmed the attack but reported that staff were evacuated from its buildings.