The night of August 11 witnessed a Russian attack on the Kyiv region using a North Korean-made ballistic missile. The strike resulted in the death of a father and his four-year-old son, as well as injuries to three others, including a twelve-year-old boy. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine reported on this incident. Commander Mykola Oleshchuk of the Ukrainian Air Force revealed that the Russians utilized four KN-23 missiles, which were launched from the Voronezh region. The Russians have been accused of attacking the Kyiv region with ballistic missiles from the DPRK. The Colonel GSh Telegram channel shared a photo of a fragment of an alleged DPRK-made Hwasong-11 (KN-23) ballistic missile, found at the site of the enemy missile crash. It is worth noting that these missiles are constructed with low-quality components.

The North Korean Hwasong-11 (KN-23) is believed to be a replica of the Russian 9M723 ballistic missile from the Iskander system, but with some technical and visual differences. The initial test launch of the Hwasong-11Ga missile occurred on May 4, 2019, covering a distance of approximately 240 kilometers and later reaching 690 kilometers in subsequent tests. Some speculate that these missiles are two different versions of the same weapon, with a 500-kilogram warhead in both versions. However, this assumption remains unverified. The missile’s circular error probability can be around 100 meters when using a satellite navigation system, but cannot surpass 200 meters with only an inertial system. The Hwasong-11Ga missile is longer than the 9М723 and has a larger diameter, but with a weight 400 kilograms lighter. It can be mounted on a wheeled landing gear, bearing a resemblance to a Russian 9P78-1 launcher found in the Iskander system. The launcher can accommodate two missiles in both versions.

ملخص الأخبار

• President Zelensky reported on the incident.
• Militarnyi reported the Russian attack on Kyiv on August 6.
• The Hwasong-11Ga missile test flew approximately 690 kilometers.