North Korean KN-23 Missiles With Cluster Warheads Used In Sumy Attack, Ukraine Confirms

Ukrainian officials have confirmed that one of the ballistic missiles used in the April 13 strike on the city of Sumy was a North Korean KN-23, a system modeled on Russia’s Iskander-M.

In a statement released on April 14, Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, said, “It is already known that the criminal strike on Sumy with two ballistic missiles of the Iskander-M/KN-23 type was carried out by Russian units of the 112th and 448th missile brigades from the territory of the Voronezh and Kursk regions of the aggressor state, respectively.”

Russian forces launched two ballistic missiles at the northern Ukrainian city of Sumy on April 13, killing at least 35 people and injuring 117 in what Ukrainian officials say is the deadliest single missile attack on the country this year, Reuters reported.

The KN-23 is a North Korean short-range ballistic missile system with a range of up to 500 kilometers (approximately 310 miles). It is known for its maneuverability, high accuracy, and ability to carry either conventional or nuclear warheads.

The Iskander-M is a Russian missile system with a similar range and flight profile designed to evade missile defenses.

The April 13 strike occurred on Palm Sunday, a religious holiday, when streets in central Sumy were filled with civilians. Ukrainian authorities have reported that cluster munitions may have been used in the attack, compounding the impact on the civilian population.

“Today, Palm Sunday, Russia launched ballistic missiles on Sumy, killing 32 Ukrainian civilians and injuring 99,” US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink wrote in a statement posted on X.

“Reports indicate, as in Kryvyi Rih, cluster munitions were used, increasing the devastation and harm to civilians. Our prayers are with the people of Sumy.”

Cluster munitions are weapons that disperse multiple smaller explosive submunitions, or “bomblets,” over a wide area. Due to their wide impact radius and the risk of unexploded bomblets remaining on the ground, cluster munitions have been widely criticized for posing long-term dangers to civilians.

Over 100 countries have banned their use under the Convention on Cluster Munitions, though major military powers, including Russia and the United States, are not signatories.

While Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed the missiles targeted a Ukrainian military command post, Ukrainian officials have stated that the attack struck civilian infrastructure, including public transportation facilities and residential areas.

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