From ammunition to ballistic missiles: how North Korea arms Russia in the Ukraine war

An explosion of a ballistic missile is seen in the sky over the city during a Russian drone strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, 24 April, 2025. Photograph: Gleb Garanich/Reuters

North Korea’s role in the war in Ukraine has come into sharp focus after the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said a Russian missile that killed 12 people in Kyiv had been supplied by the regime in Pyongyang.

“According to preliminary information, the Russians used a ballistic missile manufactured in North Korea,” Zelenskyy said. “Our special services are verifying all the details.