Seven employees lost their lives at a steel facility in Ukraine on Tuesday during a Russian strike in Zaporizhzhia, where President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alleged that Moscow utilized North Korean ballistic missiles. The Zaporizhstal plant halted operations following the attack, which involved Zircon hypersonic missiles, guided aerial bombs, and ballistic missiles reportedly provided by Pyongyang.
Metinvest Group, the parent company, stated that the ballistic missile strike occurred as workers were seeking shelter after an air-raid alert, resulting in seven fatalities and 24 injuries. The plant’s production came to a standstill due to the attack, with other affected sites running at reduced capacity.
According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, the assault targeted a metallurgical plant in Zaporizhzhia that produced flat-rolled steel used by the Ukrainian military. The ministry also reported striking the Nova Poshta sorting complex in Kyiv, which it claimed distributed dual-use goods, including drone components and electronic warfare equipment.
Following a Ukrainian drone strike in Nizhnekamsk that caused casualties, Ukrainian regions of Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk saw six additional fatalities overnight. Ukrainian authorities also noted fires in Kyiv resulting from a Russian attack. Ukraine’s counterattacks on Russia included hitting oil refineries and warehouses used by entities like Wildberries.
North Korean ballistic missiles have been employed by Russia in numerous attacks on Ukraine since late 2023, signifying an expansion of military collaboration between Moscow and Pyongyang. Zelenskyy disclosed plans for deploying up to 50,000 North Korean troops in Russia, building on the existing strategic partnership between the two nations. Russia has also received weapons and support from North Korea, while Ukraine has utilized a variety of missiles provided by Western allies.
