At least 10 civilians were killed in Russian missile, drone and glide-bomb attacks across Ukraine on Tuesday, Ukrainian officials said, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of using North Korean ballistic missiles and preparing for further military escalation.
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Zelenskyy said Russian forces used ballistic missiles supplied by North Korea in an overnight strike on Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine. Seven workers at a steel plant were killed and 21 others injured in the attack, according to the company operating the facility.
Three more people, including a 15-year-old boy, were killed by Russian drones and artillery in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, officials said.
The latest strikes came as Zelenskyy said North Korea was preparing to deploy additional troops to Russia.
Moscow and Pyongyang have significantly expanded military cooperation since Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a strategic partnership agreement in 2024, which includes a commitment to provide mutual assistance if either country faces aggression.
North Korea has already sent thousands of troops and large quantities of weapons to support Russia's war in Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials and Western assessments.
Zelenskyy warns of further Russian escalation
Zelenskyy said Russia was increasing ballistic missile production while continuing to receive military support from North Korea.
“Every step Russia takes — increasing ballistic missile production, bringing in North Korean equipment, preparing for mobilisation — all of this shows that Moscow is preparing not for peace, but for escalation,” he said on social media.
