Russia fires North Korean missiles at 'key' Ukrainian energy facility, Zelenskyy says

The overnight strikes targeted Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure as winter approached. Ukrainian officials said damaged sites included a key energy facility, substations, and infrastructure connected to the Rivne and Khmelnytskyi nuclear plants. Russia also hit the Pivnichnyi Bridge and other locations.

The damage disrupted Kyiv’s energy supply and caused problems for heating and water systems. Local authorities reported that at least six people, including a child, were injured in the Kyiv region. Zelenskyy said a kindergarten was partially destroyed. Energy facilities in the Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions were damaged, while substations in several other regions were also targeted.

The attacks matter because electricity networks support essential services beyond lighting. Damage to transmission equipment can interrupt power delivery across connected areas. Ukrainian officials said the strikes appeared designed to leave millions without electricity, heating, and water as winter approached. Technical assessments of the missile damage were still underway.

The KN-23 is a North Korean short-range ballistic missile. The Center for Strategic and International Studies gives it a top range of around 690 kilometres. It is thought to have been first tested in May 2019 and resembles Russia’s Iskander-M missile.

A ballistic missile is launched under power and then travels much of its path along a high, arcing trajectory. Conventional artillery usually fires shorter-range shells directly from guns. A cruise missile instead uses continuous engine power and flies more like an aircraft, often at lower altitude. These different flight paths create different detection and interception challenges.

Ukraine’s defence ministry said the KN-23 had been used in earlier attacks and was extremely difficult for air defence systems to deal with. Zelenskyy said preliminary findings identified KN-23 missiles at a damaged key energy facility. The missile’s reported use links North Korean weapons directly to Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.

The reported attack involved 36 ballistic missiles launched toward Kyiv and the surrounding region. That figure describes the ballistic-missile component of the overnight assault, which also damaged energy infrastructure, a bridge, and a kindergarten.

According to Zelenskyy, Ukrainian air defences intercepted four of the 36 missiles. This means most of the reported ballistic missiles were not included in the number he said had been shot down. The missiles struck or damaged targets across the capital region and nearby areas, while other substations were also hit elsewhere.

The scale matters because a concentrated missile attack can damage several connected parts of an energy network at once. Zelenskyy again urged allies to speed up deliveries of interceptor missiles. Technical assessments were continuing, so the reported damage and interception figures may be followed by further details from Ukrainian authorities.

Substations are key connection points in an electrical grid. They change voltage and direct electricity between transmission lines, power plants, and local distribution networks. When one is damaged, electricity may no longer reach some cities or regions through that route.

The overnight strikes damaged a substation connecting the Rivne and Khmelnytskyi nuclear plants to Kyiv. Zelenskyy also listed substations in Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Rivne, Kharkiv, and Dnipro among the targets. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the capital’s energy situation was extremely difficult, with disruptions to heating and water supplies.

The consequences extend beyond a simple power outage. Heating systems and water infrastructure need electricity to operate and distribute services. Damage to several network points can reduce alternative routes and make repairs harder. The article reports that technical assessments were still ongoing, so the full effect of the strikes had not yet been established.

Energy attacks become more damaging as winter approaches because households and cities depend heavily on reliable power for warmth and basic services. A disruption can therefore affect electricity, heating, and water at the same time. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Russia was deliberately seeking to leave millions without those essentials.

The latest strikes damaged substations and other critical energy infrastructure serving Kyiv and several regions. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the capital’s energy supply was extremely difficult and that heating and water systems were disrupted. The attacks also damaged facilities connected to the transmission network serving Kyiv.

Ukraine has faced repeated attacks on its power grid during wartime winter periods. The article describes this as a campaign intended to break the country’s resolve. As colder months approach, each damaged facility can increase pressure on repairs, energy supply, and civilians. Ukrainian officials warned that the immediate effects could worsen if further strikes follow.

North Korea’s support for Russia reportedly includes munitions and more than 16,000 troops. The troops are believed to have been sent since October 2024 to support Russian forces. The article does not specify how many missiles were supplied, but it identifies KN-23 weapons as North Korean-made and supplied.

The political relationship deepened in June 2024, when Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty. That agreement is part of the background to the reported use of North Korean missiles in Russia’s war effort.

Zelenskyy said preliminary technical findings identified KN-23 missiles at a damaged key energy facility. Ukraine had already said the missile was used in previous attacks and was difficult for air defences to handle. The reported missile use shows that Russia’s support relationship with North Korea has a direct battlefield dimension, alongside the troop and munitions assistance described.

An electrical grid moves power in stages. Generating plants produce electricity, which travels over transmission lines to substations. Substations adjust voltage and direct power into regional and local networks. Those networks then carry electricity to cities, homes, businesses, and essential services.

A substation can be a major junction rather than a single-city facility. The article identifies one substation connecting the Rivne and Khmelnytskyi nuclear plants to Kyiv. If that connection is damaged, power from those plants may not reach the capital through that route. Other substations in several regions were also listed as targets.

The effect can spread because the grid is interconnected. Losing one junction may overload or isolate other routes, while several damaged substations leave fewer alternatives. Kyiv reported disruptions to heating and water after the strikes. The article says technical assessments were ongoing, so the full regional impact remained uncertain.