Russia Utilizes 60 North Korean Ballistic Missiles in Ukraine Conflict: Report.

Kyiv: Russia is believed to have employed approximately 60 ballistic missiles supplied by North Korea in its ongoing conflict with Ukraine, as reported by a Ukrainian media outlet citing intelligence sources.According to Yonhap News Agency, Andrii Chernyak, a representative of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine's (DIU) defense ministry, shared this assessment during an interview with Radio Svoboda. The local media outlet RBC reported that Chernyak confirmed the Russian military's deployment of about 60 KN-23 ballistic missiles against Ukraine. The DIU spokesperson noted that these missiles, based on outdated technologies, suffer from accuracy issues. Additionally, it was reported that Russia is amassing a substantial quantity of artillery ammunition from North Korea.The disclosure follows Ukrainian claims from the previous month, alleging that North Korea had supplied around 100 short-range ballistic missiles, including KN-23s and KN-24s, to Russia. Recent footage posted on X, formerly Twitter, by Ukrain e's Centre for Strategic Communication and Information Security, purportedly shows North Korean soldiers receiving equipment from Russian troops.The KN-23 and KN-24 missiles are North Korean-made tactical guided weapons, comparable to Russia's Iskander-M and the U.S.' Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), known as the Hwasong-11 types in North Korea. It is suspected that North Korea has been providing military assistance to Moscow to bolster Russia's efforts in the Ukraine war.In a significant development, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a major defense pact during a summit in Pyongyang in June, which includes a mutual defense clause. South Korea and the United States have accused North Korea of dispatching thousands of soldiers to Russia, with some reportedly participating in combat in Russia's western Kursk border region.On Monday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller reiterated in a Japanese media interview that North Korean troops engaged in combat against Ukrainian forces are considered "legitimate targets." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also stated that some North Korean soldiers have been killed or injured during these engagements.