Zelensky Warns Putin is Using North Korean Missiles as Russian Strikes Kill 12 in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has publicly criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reliance on foreign military backing, asserting that Moscow can no longer sustain its ongoing invasion without external reinforcements, according to recent statements reported by international news outlets. Speaking via his nightly video address, Zelensky pointed to recent deployments of North Korean ballistic missiles and military personnel supporting Russian forces on the front lines.

The latest developments in the eastern European conflict coincide with intensified missile and drone strikes across multiple Ukrainian urban centers, including Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia.

Zelensky Highlights North Korean Military Support

In his address, Zelensky focused heavily on what he described as a historic vulnerability in the Kremlin’s military strategy. According to coverage from EuropeSays, the Ukrainian leader stated that Russia is preparing to deploy an additional contingent of North Korean personnel onto its territory alongside incoming shipments of ballistic weaponry.

“For the first time in its history, Russia cannot wage war without reinforcements from North Korea,” Zelensky said, as detailed by EuropeSays. Beyond the immediate battlefield implications in Ukraine, Zelensky cautioned regional partners in Asia—specifically naming Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines—that Pyongyang stands to gain valuable combat experience that could elevate future security risks across the Indo-Pacific region.

Casualties and Escalating Infrastructure Strikes

The war’s human toll continued to mount as Russian forces targeted residential and industrial zones. In the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, regional governor Ivan Fedorov reported that Russian aerial bombs and missile strikes killed five people and injured twenty others, leaving buildings and vehicles engulfed in flames, as noted by EuropeSays.

Concurrently, the conflict has increasingly extended inside Russian borders. A Ukrainian drone attack struck industrial and civilian infrastructure over 600 miles deep inside Russia, hitting the city of Nizhnekamsk and the Taneco oil refinery in the Tatarstan region. According to EuropeSays, at least 13 people—including seven Uzbek citizens and one child—were killed in the Tatarstan strikes, prompting local authorities to declare a formal period of mourning.

Further west in the Voronezh region, regional governor Alexander Gusev reported via Telegram that air defense units intercepted 15 incoming drones, though falling debris triggered massive fires at two warehouse facilities covering areas of 16,000 and 20,000 square meters, respectively. Russian online retailer Wildberries confirmed that its local logistics facilities were evacuated in compliance with safety protocols, according to EuropeSays.

International Diplomatic Response and Security Needs

The intensification of hostilities has kept international pressure high on Moscow. During previous diplomatic summits, such as meetings involving Group of Seven (G7) leaders in Germany, Western figures have repeatedly denounced high-casualty strikes on civilian infrastructure as acts of barbarism. Ukrainian officials continue to press international partners for advanced air defense batteries to counter long-range bombardment from Russian bombers operating far from the border.