Russia attacks Ukraine using North Korean missiles: An alarming axis of evil?
Russia's diminished armaments and limited domestic manufacturing capabilities are not secrets. As such, Moscow seeks support from its allies. Mykhailo Podolak, advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, shared via platform X, "In its blatant, genocidal war, the Russian Federation has for the first time hit Ukrainian territory with missiles received from North Korea. The masks have completely fallen."
Russia fires missiles from North Korea
According to Zelensky's advisor, Russia is baring its intentions and no longer framing its war with Ukraine as a "denazification" effort. Based on Podolak's comments, Russia is now openly attacking Ukrainians with missiles supplied by North Korea, a nation infamous for its torture practices in concentration camps for such "crimes" as owning unregistered radios, conversing with tourists, or watching TV shows.
Podolak proposed that Russia, in unison with North Korea and Iran, is crafting an "Axis of Evil". He asked, "Can the forces of good, the pro-Ukrainian coalition, create the strongest possible alliance to vanquish the Axis of Evil of the 21st century?"
US confirms suspicions
On Thursday, January 4, 2024, the spokesperson for the National Security Council in the U.S., John Kirby, announced that Russia had used several missiles supplied by North Korea in the attacks on Ukraine on December 30 and January 2. He explained that Russia had received "several" rockets along with launchers that have a range of about 560 miles from North Korea.
The most likely variant of these weapons is the tactical ballistic missiles named SCUD, developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. For instance, the Hwasong-9 missile (also known as SCUD-ER or SCUD in extended-range version), which was incepted in 1994, meets the stated parameters. These missiles can carry fragmentation-bursting warheads, chemical explosives, and potentially also miniaturized nuclear warheads.
Kirby revealed that Russia used at least one of these missiles on December 30, with the missile landing in an empty field in the Zaporizhia region. More missiles were fired on January 2, and the impact of these attacks is still being evaluated. The White House predicts further attacks using North Korean missiles.
