Zelenskyy Warns: Kim Jong-un's Army Deploying Ballistic Missiles, Japan and South Korea at Risk

Russian forces continued large-scale attacks on multiple regions of Ukraine on the 12th, using ballistic missiles, drones, and glide bombs, resulting in at least 10 civilian deaths. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that while Russia continues its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it is receiving new military support from North Korea, including ballistic missiles and potentially additional North Korean troops deployed within Russian territory.

One focus of the attacks was the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia. Zelenskyy pointed out that Russian forces used North Korean-supplied ballistic missiles during nighttime assaults. A local steel plant reported that the attack killed seven employees and injured 21.

Ukrainian officials also said that central Dnipropetrovsk Oblast came under Russian drone and artillery attacks, resulting in three deaths, including a 15-year-old boy.

Zelenskyy: North Korea preparing to deploy more troops to Russia

In addition to supplying ballistic missiles, Zelenskyy said on the evening of the 10th that North Korea is preparing to deploy more forces to Russia. He noted that military cooperation between North Korea and Russia is expanding, and the scale of North Korean military resources acquired by Russia may further increase.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed a strategic partnership agreement in 2024, pledging mutual assistance if either country suffers aggression.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Kim Jong-un regime has supplied Russia with large quantities of military equipment and dispatched thousands of North Korean soldiers to support Russian operations.

Some experts believe that North Korea's involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war not only directly supports Russia but also allows North Korean forces to gain real battlefield experience, potentially enhancing their military capabilities.

Zelenskyy warned that battlefield experience gained by North Korean troops could strengthen Pyongyang’s future military capabilities, posing a greater security threat to other countries in East Asia.

Ukraine warns Russia expanding ballistic missile production

The Ukrainian government says Russia is currently expanding ballistic missile production and attempting to exploit Ukraine’s shortage of air defense interceptors, particularly U.S.-made Patriot air defense system interceptors capable of countering ballistic missiles.

Ukrainian authorities also claim Russia is preparing to further expand its forces in anticipation of a new offensive on the front lines.

The current Russia-Ukraine frontline stretches approximately 1,250 kilometers, mainly across eastern and southern Ukraine. With Russian forces continuously enhancing long-range strike capabilities, the Ukrainian government faces multiple pressures, including air defense missile stockpiles and frontline troop levels.

Zelenskyy stated on social media that Russia’s recent military moves—including increased ballistic missile production, acquisition of North Korean military equipment, and preparations for new mobilization—indicate Moscow is preparing for escalation, not peace negotiations.

Notably, Ukraine’s Air Force, in its routine nighttime air raid report, unusually did not specify the total number of missiles launched by Russia. It remains unclear whether this omission was intentional, and Kyiv has not immediately commented.

Russian forces attacked Kyiv, children’s hospital hit

The Russian attacks also targeted Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv.

Ukrainian officials said Russian forces launched nighttime attacks on Kyiv, with one weapon landing within the grounds of a children’s hospital, leaving two craters and shattering building windows.

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine said children and medical staff had already entered bomb shelters, so no injuries occurred in this attack.

Another location in Kyiv caught fire due to a Russian attack. A warehouse fire quickly spread, damaging an area of about 1,200 square meters (nearly 13,000 square feet).

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed its forces used “land-based precision weapons” to attack “military-industrial facilities and transport and logistics centers” in Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia.

Russia claimed targets in Kyiv included civilian storage facilities housing drones, while in Zaporizhzhia, a metallurgical plant was attacked.

Zaporizhzhia steel plant: 7 employees killed, blast furnaces and equipment damaged

Ukrainian mining and metals giant Metinvest said its steel plant in Zaporizhzhia was attacked, killing seven employees who were trying to reach shelters after a ballistic missile alert, with 21 others injured.

In a statement, Metinvest said the attack damaged the plant’s blast furnaces and other equipment, forcing a temporary halt to operations.

Metinvest operates large-scale mining and metal manufacturing businesses in Ukraine, employing tens of thousands. This attack caused casualties and directly impacted a key Ukrainian industrial facility.

The Ukrainian Air Force said Russian forces used Zircon anti-ship missiles and Iskander ballistic missiles in attacks on Zaporizhzhia and Kyiv, launching 120 long-range attack drones across Ukraine.

Russia claims nearly 400 Ukrainian drones intercepted

While Russian forces attacked Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry also claimed its air defense forces intercepted nearly 400 Ukrainian drones over 14 Russian regions and Crimea, which Russia annexed.

Crimea was annexed by Russia in 2014, but Ukraine and the international community largely do not recognize Russia’s sovereignty claim over the peninsula.

Russia’s largest e-commerce platform, Wildberries, also said its logistics facility in Voronezh Oblast near the Ukrainian border was attacked and caught fire. The company said the fire was extinguished and most stored goods were undamaged.

Ukraine has repeatedly attacked Wildberries’ logistics warehouses and continues to target Russian oil and energy facilities inside Russia. Kyiv says such long-range attacks aim to weaken Russia’s war-fighting capability and increase the cost of continued warfare, pressuring Putin to negotiate.

Ukraine attacks Russian refinery 1,500 km from border

The Ukrainian General Staff said Ukrainian forces attacked the Orsk refinery in Russia’s Orenburg Oblast, causing a fire.

The refinery is near the border with Kazakhstan, about 1,500 km from Ukraine. Ukrainian forces said they are assessing the actual damage caused by the attack.

The Orsk refinery has an annual crude processing capacity of about 44 million barrels, producing gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuel, making it a key part of Russia’s energy infrastructure.

Ukraine’s continued attacks on Russian refineries, oil depots, and other energy facilities have become part of its long-range strike strategy. Kyiv believes weakening Russia’s energy sector will reduce fuel supply capacity and undermine its ability to fund military operations.

U.S.-led diplomatic mediation stalled

As the war continues, U.S.-led diplomatic mediation has stalled. With significant differences between Russia and Ukraine on ceasefire conditions, territory, and other core issues, the U.S. government is disappointed by the slow progress in negotiations.

Meanwhile, Washington’s diplomatic and security policy attention is also affected by the war in Iran, adding more uncertainty to efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

The Washington-based think tank Institute for the Study of War said on the 10th that as long as Putin believes Russia can achieve its main war goals through military means, the Kremlin is unlikely to enter serious negotiations or make meaningful concessions on core demands.

The institute warned that Ukraine’s current shortage of Patriot missile interceptors could give Russia greater attack opportunities in the coming winter. If Russian forces exploit gaps in Ukraine’s air defenses to cause significant damage, it could further delay meaningful negotiations and prolong the war.

Russia’s Supreme Court orders exclusion of sole anti-war party

In addition to battlefield military actions, significant political developments related to the war occurred within Russia.

Russia’s Supreme Court ordered on the 10th that the opposition party Yabloko be excluded from ballots in the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for September 18–20.

Yabloko is seen as the only major political party in Russia that openly opposes Russia’s war against Ukraine. Its exclusion further suppresses anti-war political forces within Russia.

UN: Over 16,000 civilians detained by Russia still deprived of freedom

Meanwhile, the United Nations continues to monitor Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war detained during the war.

The UN estimates that over 16,000 Ukrainian civilians detained by Russia since the war began remain “deprived of liberty.” The UN says many are held in solitary confinement or cut off from outside contact, and some detentions violate international legal standards.

UN Assistant