A video shared by a Ukrainian official purportedly shows the moment a North Korean KN-23 missile launched by Russia’s military hit Kyiv in an overnight attack.
At least eight people have been killed and more than 80 injured after drones and missiles struck Ukraine’s capital.
Anton Gerashchenko, a former adviser to Ukraine’s minister of internal affairs shared the footage from newswire Reuters which appeared to show the weapon falling on the city.
Newsweek has contacted the Kremlin and the North Korean Embassy in London for comment by email.
Why It Matters
Russia’s relationship with North Korea has been strengthening amid Vladimir Putin‘s war in Ukraine.
Pyongyang is reported to have supplied Russia with short-range nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, self-propelled guns, and even troops for use in the ongoing conflict, but it has so far denied doing so.
Ukraine and South Korea also said in December that Pyongyang had deployed an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 servicemen to southern Russia to fight Ukrainian forces.
What To Know
“Kyiv last night during a combined Russian attack. Reuters reports that a North Korean KN-23 ballistic missile hit the residential building in Kyiv, citing its own sources,” said Gerashchenko on X (formerly Twitter.)
A Ukrainian military source told Reuters on Thursday that a North Korean KN-23 (KN-23A) ballistic missile was one of the weapons used by Moscow in its attack. It struck a residential building in the Sviatoshynskyi district, the source said.
According to Reuters, the KN-23 (KN-23A) missiles carry warheads which weigh up to one tonne.
Russia has not commented on the attack.
Ukrainian rescuers operate at the site of a Russian missile attack in Kyiv on April 24, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Ukrainian rescuers operate at the site of a Russian missile attack in Kyiv on April 24, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
GENYA SAVILOV/AFP/Getty Images
“There has been destruction. The search is continuing for people under rubble,” Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said on Telegram.
“Unfortunately, there is significant destruction,” Zelensky said on X. “Rescue operations are ongoing, and the rubble of residential buildings is being cleared. As of this moment, over 80 people have been injured across Ukraine. Everyone is receiving the necessary assistance.”
The attack came as President Donald Trump‘s attempts to broker peace talks to end the war hit hurdles.
Trump lashed out at Zelensky on Wednesday after he publicly lambasted a central component of Washington’s reported ceasefire proposal, which involve territorial concessions.
The Ukrainian leader said he wouldn’t accept Russia’s demands to legally recognize the annexation of Crimea. The Black Sea peninsula was annexed by Russia in 2014, but is internationally recognized as Ukrainian.
“Ukraine will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea,” Zelensky told reporters on Tuesday. “It is against our constitution.”
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Wednesday, calling Zelensky’s remarks “very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia.”
“It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy’s that makes it so difficult to settle this War. He has nothing to boast about! The situation for Ukraine is dire—He can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country,” he wrote.
Vice President JD Vance told reporters in India on Wednesday: “We have engaged in an extraordinary amount of diplomacy and on-the-ground work. We really tried to understand things from the perspectives of both Ukrainians and Russians. I think that we put together a very fair proposal.”
“It’s time for them to either say yes or for the United States to walk away from this process. The current lines, somewhere close to them is where you’re ultimately, I think, going to draw the new lines in the conflict.”
What Happens Next
Talks are ongoing between Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S., but Trump has warned that he may abandon his diplomatic efforts if no agreement is reached soon.