5-1-2024 (KYIV) Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak confirmed on Friday that Russia has launched missiles supplied by North Korea for the first time during its ongoing invasion, corroborating earlier claims made by Washington.
Speaking on social media, Podolyak stated, “There is no longer any disguise…as part of its outright genocidal war, the Russian Federation for the first time struck at the territory of Ukraine with missiles received from…North Korea.”
While Podolyak did not provide direct evidence of the missiles being of North Korean origin, Washington referred to declassified intelligence in its statement on Thursday.
Podolyak further criticized Russia, stating, “(Russia) is attacking Ukrainians with missiles received from a state where citizens are tortured in concentration camps for having an unregistered radio, talking to a tourist, watching TV shows.”
At the time of reporting, there has been no immediate response from Moscow regarding these allegations.
Earlier on Friday, state media quoted the governor of the eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv, where missiles were fired into the province at the end of December and beginning of January, as confirming that the missiles were produced outside of Russia.
Kharkiv region prosecutors have initiated an investigation into the origin of three missiles used by Russia to target the provincial capital on Tuesday. However, their statement did not specifically mention North Korea as the country of origin for the missiles.
