Zelenskyy Says North Korean KN-23 Missiles Hit Key Ukrainian Energy Site; Only 4 of 36 Ballistic Missiles Intercepted

Since Russia's overnight barrage on the Kyiv region, which Ukraine says involved 36 ballistic missiles and 172 drones, Kyiv has added a new charge: some of those missiles were built in North Korea.

Zelenskyy said Saturday, Nov. 7, that technical assessments at the struck sites are still underway. "According to preliminary findings, at one of the key energy facilities that was damaged, the Russians used KN-23 missiles manufactured and supplied by North Korea," he wrote on X.

That is a preliminary Ukrainian finding, not a final forensic report. Russia's Defence Ministry said only that it hit military-industrial, energy and transport targets in and around Kyiv. Its statement did not mention the KN-23.

What the missile is

The KN-23 is a North Korean short-range ballistic missile with a top range of about 690 km, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Missile Threat project. It looks similar to Russia's Iskander-M. Ukraine's Defence Ministry said in April that the KN-23 had been used in earlier attacks and was "extremely difficult for air defence systems to deal with."

Pyongyang's role is not new. North Korea is believed to have sent more than 16,000 troops to support Russian forces since October 2024, along with munitions. Putin and Kim Jong-un signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty in June 2024.

Zelenskyy said the episode shows sanctions must be "significantly strengthened" against anyone supplying Russia's war effort.

The damage

Ukraine's Energy Ministry said consumers in the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kyiv, Zhytomyr and Kharkiv regions lost power. It said transmission in Kyiv and the surrounding region was significantly hampered. It did not say how many homes were affected.

The ministry also said systems that carry electricity from two nuclear power plants were seriously damaged.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the Pivnichnyi (Northern) Bridge was hit and called the energy situation "extremely difficult." Zelenskyy said six ballistic missiles were fired at the bridge and four struck it. He said Russia is hitting Dnipro bridges "from Kyiv all the way to Zaporizhzhia."

Local authorities and the State Emergency Service reported at least six people injured in the Kyiv region, including a child.

Zelenskyy made a point that cuts against the usual blackout story: Ukraine is generating more electricity than it consumes. The shortages come from strikes on substations and grid links, not from a lack of generation.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Moscow of "deliberately seeking to leave millions of Ukrainians without electricity, heating, and water as winter approaches." Russia's Defence Ministry has said such facilities supply Ukraine's military and defence industry.

The interceptor gap

Four of 36 is about 11 percent. Zelenskyy blamed the shortage of Patriot interceptors. "The United States is in the best position to help address it," he said.

The U.S. State Department approved a possible sale of 500 PAC-3 MSE interceptors to Ukraine in a deal estimated at $2.1 billion, funded entirely by Kyiv's partners and allies. Delivery could take years. Zelenskyy has said Ukraine needs the missiles this winter, 2026-2027. Kyiv has asked Washington for a winter package of 100 Patriot interceptors a month.

He said Ukraine will be represented in November at the G7, the Coalition of the Willing and Ramstein formats, and that results must focus on air defense and energy.

Talks on Tuesday

Zelenskyy said the timing was deliberate. "By intensifying its attacks on Ukraine and our infrastructure at this very moment, Russia is trying to additionally lay the groundwork for putting pressure on Ukraine's position and that of its partners," he said.

Trilateral talks among Ukraine, Russia and the United States are scheduled in Abu Dhabi for Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 10-11. They would be the first direct talks in months. The diplomatic track has been stalled since February, when Washington turned its attention to its war with Iran. Trump's attempts to end the Russia-Ukraine war have foundered over Moscow's sweeping territorial demands.

Strikes have continued all week. On Nov. 3, Zelenskyy said Russia launched 289 attack drones, 17 ballistic missiles and 59 cruise missiles at power generation and substations in Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Rivne. That came days after a brief humanitarian ceasefire in Oleshky, brokered by First Lady Melania Trump, expired on Nov. 1. Both sides accused each other of using the pause to improve their military positions.

It remains unclear whether the U.S. delegation will arrive in Abu Dhabi with any answer on interceptor deliveries before winter. The forensic work on the KN-23 debris is still under way.