The firing range of the KN-23 missile is up to 450 km, Ryzhenko says.
The KN-23 missiles that Russia received from North Korea, as well as the jet-powered Shaheds, pose a serious threat to Ukrainian air defense. This was stated by the former deputy chief of staff of the Navy, reserve captain 1st rank Andrei Ryzhenko.
As he explained on the Kyiv 24 TV channel, these missiles are ballistic and equipped with a solid fuel engine. The KN-23’s firing range is up to 450 km. These missiles can reach an altitude of up to 50 km and fall vertically onto a target at speeds of up to Mach 6.
It is difficult for air defense systems to respond to such a target. Of course, it is possible to counter North Korean missiles with the help of Patriot air defense systems, but if the missile channels are overloaded, the KN-23 can reach their targets.
Modified Shaheds with a jet engine, which also have high speed and maneuverability, will also be difficult to intercept. In particular, according to Ryzhenko, the enemy can use them to attack military equipment.
“I don’t know what principle is laid down. Perhaps they will be used against Western-made multiple launch rocket systems, air defense systems, that is, our most capable weapon systems,” he believes.
Missiles from the DPRK and Marshal rockets in Ukraine
During attacks on Ukraine, Russian occupation forces have already used North Korean missiles. Presumably, we are talking about KN-23, very similar to the Russian Iskander, says Valery Ryabykh, development director of the information and consulting company Defense Express. According to him, these missiles hit Ukraine at least twice.
South Korea’s representative to the UN, Hwang Jung Kook, stressed that the DPRK is using Ukraine as a testing ground for missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, providing these weapons to Russian invaders.
In addition, a few days ago it was reported that a new kamikaze drone, Shahed-238, equipped with a jet engine, could be shot down in Ukraine for the first time. This was stated by military expert Sergei Flesh. According to him, they can fly all over the country and get there much faster. At the same time, the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has not yet confirmed the fact of the destruction of such a drone.
