Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday criticized Russia's growing reliance on North Korea for military aid, stating that the use of Pyongyang-supplied ballistic missiles in recent attacks signifies Moscow's desperation and readiness for escalation.

Regional officials reported that Russia fired North Korean-supplied ballistic missiles overnight into Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk, resulting in the deaths of 10 people, including a 15-year-old boy, and wounding at least 24 others. Zelensky suggested that Russia is running low on weapons and manpower, necessitating external support for its invasion.

"For the first time in its history, Russia cannot wage war without reinforcements from North Korea," Zelensky said in a recent address. "Every step Russia takes — increasing ballistic missile production, bringing in North Korean equipment, preparing for mobilization — all of this shows that Moscow is preparing not for peace, but for escalation."

This reported collaboration follows a strategic partnership agreement between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2024. According to reports, approximately 14,000 North Korean soldiers were deployed in 2024 to support Russian efforts.

Ukraine's military intelligence agency had previously alerted that a North Korean missile unit, believed to be carrying 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers, was deployed to Russia. Ukraine has also noted a shortage of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors, its primary defense against ballistic missiles.

Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence reported that the North Korean missile unit was allegedly deployed in Russia's western Voronezh region as part of a military buildup for a potential winter assault aimed at damaging Ukrainian infrastructure. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, suggested that Ukraine's Patriot shortages could allow Russia to inflict significant damage and prolong the conflict, potentially delaying meaningful negotiations.

Zelensky also warned that North Korea's involvement in the conflict could allow its military to develop and pose a greater threat to regional rivals. "The more North Korean strikes there are here in Ukraine, in Europe, the more their missiles and soldiers are used, the more they correct their shortcomings and blind spots, the greater the danger will later be for Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, and other countries in the region," he stated.